Maintainers keep helos ready

  • Published
  • By Capt. Kristi Beckman
  • 398th Air Expeditionary Group
Maintainers from the 85th Maintenance Squadron here have a huge responsibility to keep mission-critical helicopters ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

The 31 maintainers deployed from Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, are part of the 398th Air Expeditionary Group providing support for operations in Liberia. They keep three 56th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters up and running.

Since July 13, the group has evacuated 60 people from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia, and brought in 43 Marines with the Fleet Antiterrorism Support Team to boost security there.

Maintaining the helicopters under normal conditions is not an easy job, and things are even more challenging in Sierra Leone, said Capt. Thomas Preston, a maintenance supervisor. Sierra Leone is in the annual rainy season.

“The environment is a lot different here,” said Preston. “In Iceland, the aircraft are kept indoors unless we fly. Here, there isn’t a hangar for them, so they sit out all day long in the rain.”

Dealing with the weather definitely gets challenging at times, according to Tech. Sgt. Todd Bailey, a weapons supervisor.

“We are on alert, so the weapons stay on the aircraft at all times,” he said. “(We are) trying to keep up with the rust and preventative maintenance … the rain is not good.”

Despite the rain, the maintainers keep on top of their game.

“This is probably one of the tighter groups I’ve worked with,” said Preston. “The helo community is pretty small. A lot of my maintainers know each other from other bases, and they work (really) well together as a team. Everyone pitches in and helps each other out, no matter what their job is. We’re cognizant of our mission and know it’s critical to keep these birds ready to fly.”

The airmen of the 398th AEG evacuated three people, including a 6-year-old girl, from the embassy July 28.

“I recovered the helo with the little girl,” said Senior Airman Douglas McDonnell, a helicopter crew chief. “That’s what really makes (dealing with the rain, heat and humidity) all worthwhile.”

Taking part in the mission is a pleasure, according to Senior Airman Rusty Gardner, another maintainer.

“When I saw that little girl we rescued the other day, it made me feel good that I’m a part of this mission,” he said.

Sierra Leone is a nice place to visit, Preston said, but he probably would not have stopped there if the Air Force had not sent him.

“You can look around and see they’ve been through civil war recently,” said Preston. “There’s no power unless there’s a generator and limited potable water. While we’re complaining about cold showers in the morning, these people don’t have showers for days. It definitely makes me appreciate what being an American means and the rights we have.”

Preston said he thinks this is one of the more fulfilling missions in the Air Force.

“At the end of our time here, we can all look back and say because of us and our helos, we were able to help those people out.” (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)