United States Marine Corps (USMC) Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPAC) Program Spray Technique and Research for Defense (STAR4Defense) Painter Training Certification Course

In 1994, the STAR initiative developed a training program for the automotive industry. This initiative was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and was designed to eliminate unnecessary hazardous waste and subsequent painting costs. In 2003, the program was given Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations to develop a military course. In 2010, the USMC CPAC Program took over management duties of the STAR4Defense effort.

STAR4Defense focuses on comprehensive knowledge of the entire painting process and improving spray techniques within the constraints of appropriate DOD scenarios. With proper training, painters are able to reduce: hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions into the environment, wasted paint during application, and time spent in the paint booth. Correctly applying coatings increases corrosion protection, decreases maintenance labor/cost and also reduces the overall lifecycle costs.

STAR4Defense certified painter training is a 3-day course where training is broken down into three sections: Classroom, Spray Booth, and VirtualPaint™. The Classroom section is scheduled over the first and second day and  includes topics such as coatings, application equipment, and application techniques. Actual painting in the Spray Booth is done all three days, and during this segment, students are given the opportunity to use a tool known as LaserPaint™. This tool is attached to the spray gun and is used to teach proper stand-off distance and overlapping. In the booth, painters are initially pre-tested for transfer efficiency, then day two gives them time to improve technique and practice before the last day transfer efficiency post-test. The VirtualPaint™ system utilizes emerging technologies to create a virtual training tool designed to simulate painting procedures, showing the amount of paint coverage and wasted paint due to improper technique.