Dyess sets record mission-capable rates

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bill Lincicome
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  When the 7th Bomb Wing’s B-1 Lancer maintainers and operators here surpassed Air Combat Command's monthly mission-capable rate two months in a row last June and July, officials called it "a huge success." It was the first time the wing had accomplished the feat.

But that accomplishment was just the beginning. In May, the wing recorded a 76.1 percent monthly mission-capable rate, marking the 12th straight month Dyess has eclipsed the command standard of 67 percent. In the process, the 7th BW became the first B-1 unit to accomplish this mission ready milestone.

Mission-capable rates are determined by the percent of a unit's assigned aircraft that are ready to perform missions, said Chief Master Sgt. Douglas Fournier, the 7th Operations Group maintenance superintendent. If an aircraft is down for maintenance for too many days, it is counted against the rate. A higher mission-capable rate means a higher availability of planes for training missions as well as real-world combat commitments, he said.

"It also translates to less pressure on the maintainers," Fournier said. "We have more parts on the shelf now, have less cannibalization actions and less weekend maintenance duties. Morale is the highest it's been in years."

These successes have been several years in the making, the chief said.

Recently, more funding was put into the B-1 program to address parts and logistics issues for the fleet. It has taken this long for the system to catch up, but now that funding has translated into more parts on the shelf, Fournier said.

The successes being enjoyed by the maintenance community here are the result of a "huge team effort," said Lt. Col. Richard Kosanke, the 7th Logistics Group deputy commander. "The elements of logistics -- the money, people and equipment -- have come together and focused on meeting the mission needs."

According to base officials, key teammates in Dyess' mission-capable rate success are the hard-working men and women at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. The center provides logistical support for the Dyess B-1 maintenance community, helping to ensure necessary parts are available to Dyess maintainers when they need them.

Kosanke stressed that the mission-capable rates are only part of the success story at Dyess.

"When you look at the facts that the experience level of those who work on the aircraft has gone down and the aircraft has aged, and we're still able to provide a quality aircraft and consistently maintain the stats we're seeing, that's huge," he said.

Part of the 7th LG's "back to basics" approach has been working with the 7th OG on aircraft scheduling. The two groups worked to revise how airplanes are scheduled to fly, resulting in "fresh tails" for use every day.

"This has allowed for more quality maintenance," Kosanke said. "It's provided the flightline (workers) better opportunities to maintain the airplanes." (Courtesy of ACC News Service)