33rd FW Airmen wins "lessons learned" award

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Air Education and Training Command recently selected Maj. Matt W. Renbarger, 58th Fighter Squadron Weapons and Tactics chief, the winner of the 2010 Gen. George C. Kenney Award for Lessons Learned for his efforts with three military branches and eight international partner countries to establish the first-ever F-35 tactics document.

The award is designed to highlight an individual or organization which makes a notable contribution to the Air Force through lessons learned. The award is open to all Air Force active duty, Reserve, Guard and Department of Defense civilian members for either an individual or team effort.

"I was honored just because it was a big team push for us to get all this stuff put together," Major Renbarger said. "It wasn't just me that did a lot of it, but a lot of it ended up looking like it was me on paper when we finished."

Arriving at the 33rd Fighter Wing in late July 2009, Major Renbarger's efforts reduced F-35 doctrine production costs by $60,000, by developing the first F-35 pilot training program to prepare 18 pilots for first flights, standardizing training among all services, and numerous other items, according to the nomination package.

"I am elated Major Renbarger won this award and could think of no better nominee," said Lt. Col. John Wilbourne, 58th FS commander. "His innovative leadership skill to bring together all joint and international F-35 partners in the writing of completely new F-35 tactics is groundbreaking. It is this same type of innovation General Kenney himself used in the Pacific in WWII."

AETC established its first-ever Lessons Learned program late last year with the goal to formalize a command culture of proactive distribution of best practices and lessons learned.

"Major Renbarger's notable achievements are exactly what our Lessons Learned program needs to do," said Col. Tom Bell, AETC Lesson Learned Division chief. "He saw an ideal opportunity to initiate changes and then institutionalize those improvements."

Major Renbarger continues to press forward combining information for the next generation of fighter aircraft.

"Between all the services - Air Force, Navy and Marines - we are starting to develop tactics for the F-35," said the 1999 Air Force Academy graduate. "We are hoping with the F-35, since we have a common airframe across all three platforms, we can have common tactics across all three platforms."

The major explained that in the past, Marine, Navy and Air Force tacticians worked separately and there was a transitional time for everyone to integrate.

"This is the first time an aircraft has been developed from the ground up to be a multi-role stealth platform," Major Renbarger said. "We are starting to figure out how we are going to integrate that in the joint fight and the coalition fight as well."

Major Renbarger said his next role at the squadron will be as the chief instructor, integrating the new syllabus into training.