Innovative maintainers save time, lives of front line troops

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Maintainers here have come up with an innovative phase maintenance process to keep as many close-air-support aircraft airborne in theater that is being hailed by U.S. Central Command senior leaders.

A-10 Thunderbolt II maintainers deployed from the 23rd Maintenance Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., have implemented a new process that cuts phase maintenance time on the aircraft in half. 

The process was key to the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron's A-10 pilots surpassing 5,000 total combat flight hours in May.

More than 30 maintainers here thoroughly inspect the A-10 aircraft from top to bottom, inside and out after every 500 hours of flight, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Carlson, the unit's -10 phase dock flight chief. At home station, the process takes approximately two weeks and in deployed areas it takes five days. Here, under a new process, it takes just 2.5 days.

"During this inspection, every system and area of the aircraft is inspected and anything that needs to be repaired or replaced is done," said Capt. Dan Vigo, the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron operations officer. "The process here is being performed in 2.5 days. The A-10 fleet not only flew all those missions in May, but also the average time to phase for the fleet was improved nearly 100 hours higher than before."

One reason for the quicker turnaround is that for the first time, an A-10 unit used all its back shops in the de-paneling and initial inspection process simultaneously.

"The normal process has the phase technicians de-paneling first, then each of the (back) shops would show up anywhere between days two and four to start inspections," he said. "Under our new construct, every shop starts their inspection as soon as they de-panel their area, thus saving valuable time."

On the front lines, where ground troops come in contact with the enemy on a daily basis, every minute counts. 

It's the maintainers' job to keep enough aircraft airworthy to provide constant overwatch, said Maj. Pete Lommen, the 455th EMXS commander.

"Airplanes break, plain and simple," he said. "These airplanes are more vital than most because they must stay operational to save lives throughout Afghanistan. When they aren't flying, they aren't protecting American and coalition lives."

The process, lauded by Lt. Gen. Gary North, U.S. Air Forces Central Command and 9th Air Force commander during a recent visit here, is already being shared with the next A-10 unit coming into the theater. Master Sgt. Jerry Savoy said this allows the incoming unit to practice on home station aircraft and increase their proficiency with the new process before combat operations.

The 455th EMXS production supervisor also is convinced the new phase process can be applied to similar airframes.

"This phase process will work on any aircraft mission design series," said Sergeant Savoy, a 23-year aircraft maintenance veteran. "It's compatible with not only phase inspections, but the isochronal inspections performed on Air Force heavy aircraft as well."