Follow me, save me, repair me: crash recovery

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) --  The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's wheel and tire, transient alert, and crash recovery flight is a flight with three unique missions housed under one roof, that deals with out-of-the-ordinary aircraft, wheels and damage.

Members of the wheel and tire shop handle all F-16 Fighting Falcon tire repairs, said Master Sgt. James Faile, the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron transient alert, wheel and tire, crash recovery flight chief. Transient alert members coordinate the smooth movement of aircraft not assigned to Joint Base Balad. Crash Recovery members handle all in-flight and ground emergencies, ensuring the runways and taxiways stay open. 

For the Airmen of the wheel and tire shop, their mission truly begins "where the rubber meets the road."

"We take worn out F-16 wheel assemblies and make them like new," said Tech. Sgt David Southern, the 332nd EMXS crash recovery team chief. "We receive assemblies from the flightline, strip them down, inspect for defects, rebuild, then replace the tire and return them to service. In a month we will refurbish more than 70 assemblies while supporting more than 1,000 sorties."

If the wheel and tire shop wasn't here, then JB Balad would have to send assemblies out to get repaired, which would be extremely expensive and slow the mission, Sergeant Southern said.

TA members, in turn, ensure the right plane is in the proper location on the airfield.

"TA (members help the base) by ensuring the smooth movement of transient aircraft in and out of (JB) Balad," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Daely, a 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron transit alert shift supervisor. "These aircraft arrive here to deliver mail, supplies or to pick up and drop off passengers. We use our 'follow me' truck to help pilots negotiate their way around the airfield. The truck has a large sign that illuminates the words 'follow me.'

TA members help more than 500 military and civilian aircraft a month that carry approximately 20,000 passengers, 4,000 tons of cargo and four tons of mail, Sergeant Daely said.

Crash Recovery members, who are part of the largest shop in the flight, control thousands of dollars of equipment and manage clean-up efforts after an aircraft incident on the airfield.

"When it comes to crash recovery, I hope we are never needed," said Sergeant Southern. "But if something does happen, we are ready.

"As long as there are planes flying, there will be a need for crash recovery -- they go hand in hand," he said.

With three different missions happening simultaneously, Airmen of this conglomerate flight are ready for whatever the job can toss at them.