First 180th Member COmpletes 8 1/2 Week BMT Published March 16, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Annette Kornasiewicz 180th Public Affairs April 2009 -- Airman 1st Class Sean D. Chubner, assigned as a crew chief for the Maintenance Squadron, returned in February as the first member of the 180th FW to graduate from the lengthened Air Force Basic Military Training. Chubner was a member of the third class to complete the redesigned BMT model, which changed in November, 2008, from 6 ½ to 8½ weeks. "Once I got through, I was really grateful that I had gone through the extended version," said Chubner. "I got more hands-on training with the weaponry and more time during 'The Beast' week." "The Beast," explained Chubner, is a week of War Games in which you learn skills such as Self-Aid Buddy Care, how to perform in a tactical march and how to build a defensive fighting position. "Before, it was more of a training week, but now there was time to apply the knowledge you were taught in the classroom," said Chubner. Although he did not have the experience of comparing what he went through versus the shorter version of BMT, Chubner said he would not have traded it for anything. "The end result is that you are just better prepared," he said. "They want you to be the best Airman possible, and I think the training reflects that."