Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject: The Mechanic
I, like most of us know it takes several 100 people to support one rifleman or one pilot in combat. Not to take anything away from the combat rifleman or aviator we don't hear enough about the support folks. This small article from my USAF news reports web site should interest most folks interested in MV's.
by Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson
447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFPN) -- High-mobility multipurpose-wheeled vehicles began serving America's Soldiers, Airmen and Marines worldwide in 1983. For 22 years the vehicle has been an icon for troops supporting the full spectrum of operations from humanitarian and disaster relief to major theater war.
The Humvee has proven its mettle and has far exceeded its expected design capabilities.
Today, it is the skill and determination of Air Force and Army mechanics and vehicle fleet managers working together that keep the Humvee on the frontlines of the war on terrorism.
The 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's vehicle maintenance flight has met the challenge of keeping the Humvee rolling, as well as achieving a nearly 100-percent mission capable rate on almost 400 vehicles, including general- and special-purpose trucks, equipment and refuelers.
This success has been hard fought and required maintainers to look beyond the Air Force's focused logistics capabilities to get the parts they needed at the right time, every time, no matter the obstacles.
"Parts -- that's what it's all about when it comes to keeping the fleet in service," said Master Sgt. Scotty Browning, vehicle management superintendent. "The system wasn't working, and somewhere along the line somehow the system lost sight of the fact that these weren't just vehicle parts, they were parts needed to win the war."
Immediately upon arriving here, Sergeant Browning, Master Sgt. Mike Campbell, maintenance flight chief, and the rest of the maintainers, tackled the parts issue by calling on their Army counterparts for assistance.
Deployed from U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, with more than 10 years of vehicle operations experience, Sergeant Browning could see the need for immediate joint cooperation to turn the tide on a slipping mission capable rate.
Now, Air Force vehicle maintainers here take advantage of the Army supply system and even use Army forms to get critical parts.
"We still use our Air Force reach-back capabilities for routine and noncritical parts, but the Army system of keeping a vast supply of parts on-hand helps us keep the rubber on the road," the sergeant said.
Deployed from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., Sergeant Campbell laid the groundwork with his Army counterpart and made the joint venture a priority.
With the problem of getting vehicle parts resolved, the team faced the daunting task of rebuilding a fleet that had dipped in its mission-capable rates.
For weeks, the team worked nearly 15 hours every day in the grease and grime of a maintenance tent that stays stiflingly hot both day and night. Every day an ever-changing line of trucks, buses, Humvees and other vehicles can be found in the tent, each waiting their turn for repair.
Covered in oil and dirt, mechanics move from one vehicle to the next, each expanding their skills in performing a vast array of repair needs.
For Senior Airman Larae Thompson, a mechanic on her first deployment from Luke AFB, Ariz., the challenge of fixing broken vehicles meant a lot of training to get her up to speed.
"At home, I specialize in repairing things like forklifts and aircraft tow vehicles," she said. "Until arriving here, I had never worked on a Humvee or some of the other vehicles we have."
Airman Thompson said the maintenance challenge with Humvees comes from their nearly constant use in harsh conditions and the weight of extra armor.
"Some of them are almost never turned off because they are constantly on security patrol," she said. "Add that to the fact that they run in daytime temperatures close to 120 degrees and that they are carrying about 4,000 pounds of extra armor, and you can see how things like brakes, suspensions and air conditioning need special attention."
As a result, Airman Thompson and the rest of the crew are becoming proficient at many new tasks, which she credits to everyone helping to train each other.
Despite the fact that the mechanics serve a support role in the war on terrorism, an ever-present danger remains.
One afternoon, most of the crew was at the group command building for Sergeant Browning's promotion ceremony. Three Airmen stayed behind to take care of waiting customers, and it was then that an enemy rocket found its way into the maintenance compound.
The rocket, by happenstance, hit near the maintenance tent, burying itself about 7-feet deep without detonating. A few feet in either direction and it would have hit a concrete surface with what could have been devastating results.
"After the explosive ordnance disposal team detonated the rocket and made the area safe, people weren't talking much," Sergeant Browning said. "They just went right back to work, and even turned out three fully mission-capable Humvees that night."
Sergeant Browning shudders to think at what could have happened, but praises the maintenance team for unflappable commitment to their mission.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
