CNATT uses many tools to help fight flight line corrosion

On any given day, Sailors and Marines teach corrosion prevention, control and treatment at 23 different Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) learning sites throughout the country. These instructors previously worked on the flight lines battling corrosion daily and now are sharing their knowledge in the classroom with the goal of enhancing operations.
 
One of those Marines is Sgt. Jose Bejil Garza, Jr., an avionics organizational-level instructor at the CNATT Detachment (DET) at Camp Pendleton, California.  

"We all agree corrosion training is very important and one of the fundamentals of keeping all Naval Aviation aircrew up and running," said Garza. "Our corrosion training consists of instructors who teach different types of corrosion theory, types of corrosion on metals and how to treat them." 

Once a week, Garza will train six to eight Marines to prevent corrosion when they spot it, and what to do next. 
 
"I see in their face when we teach them new things that pertain to their job, and if it did not pertain to their job, it would not be important," said Garza, who added that a key part of maintenance is keeping the aircraft clean, including corrosion prevention and treatment.
   
Garza was featured in the Avionics Corrosion Prevention micro video that is part of a wider CNATT micro video library. Sgt. Eloy Chris Saintil at CNATT DET Camp Pendleton produced the video and is just as passionate about corrosion training.
  
“To be assigned a task that has such a tremendous impact on the nation’s frontline weapon systems is an honor and something I took great pleasure in constructing,” said Saintil about his video project. “I feel that one of the main points of concern in the Marine Corps’ maintenance efforts is corrosion. Strong emphasis [is] being placed on corrosion because it’s the one single point of failure that is often overlooked by entry-level service members.”
 
The sergeant continued, “When I was first assigned the task by my leadership, a conversation was had in depth on the impact that it would have on the fleet, which made me think long and hard about what I wanted to include in the production.” 
 
Identifying a problem is the first step to solving it, Saintil stated, following by implementing control measures to combat the issue or issues. He used that foundation to build his video project.
 
Throughout the CNATT domain, instructors supplement classroom aviation training with the micro videos on various topics. Garza explained, "These videos are helping the students become knowledgeable on corrosion prevention and treatment. Each student may have a different learning style; some may read a book and another may need to learn visually." 
 
CNATT has produced 45 micro videos, and five have been specific corrosion-related topics, with another five currently in development that is being used at Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command (NATEC) and other training commands across the NAE during ongoing training sessions with maintenance technicians.
 
Corrosion Management Board (CMB) Military Lead Cmdr. Terrance McCray explained the videos’ value, saying: “The CMB identified training as one of five primary contributors to corrosion as a systemic degrader. Teaming with CNATT, and other stakeholders within the training ecosystem, is essential to identifying and correcting corrosion training gaps. The micro videos that we are developing, as a component of the CMB’s overall corrosion training strategy, are a prime example of that teamwork. ‘Thank you’ to the Sailors and Marines that are contributing to the production of these videos, as an easily accessible training aid.”