OCTOBER 1, 2014, TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) – Preparing for life after the military can be tough, but the Air Force is working to make it a little easier with a tractor trailer training program called 3T.
The Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012 allows states to accept a military operator’s license and training certificate, along with approval from a commander, to issue active and retired military members a commercial driver’s license, or CDL.
The 3T program, managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, supports the CDL Act by offering an 80-hour, civilian-level tractor trailer training course several times a year at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., and Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
Master Sgt. Michael Mabe, who retires from the Air Force in December 2014, attended 3T training and recently earned his Florida CDL after submitting the required documentation and passing a written state-required test.
The process can benefit Airmen both before and after retirement, Mabe said. “I think this is a milestone for the Air Force and for anyone who operates a tractor trailer,” Mabe said. “This course will take them to the next level and help them operate safer on the highway. It also teaches skills they can use when they leave the military someday.”
Creation of the training course was a joint effort between 3T instructors and AFCEC, said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Cleary, a 3T instructor at Dobbins.
“The course took a long time to build and it was a lot of work,” Cleary said,” but the product we put out at the end is an outstanding product and the individuals are trained to an exceptional level.”
The training benefits not only the individual, but also the Air Force and the nation as a whole, said Chief Master Sgt. Trevor Shattuck, Air Force Reserve Command career field manager.
“Not only are we training to meet missions, but we are also training to meet the needs of the nation after the Airmen leave the Air Force,” Shattuck said. “They know coming into the military that, when they retire, they will have gained marketable skills for civilian life.”
The 3T course is open to all Air Force active-duty, guard, and reserve members.