Maintainers keep B-1 in the fight

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith
  • 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) --  Maintainers assigned to the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron are responsible for servicing, inspecting and repairing B-1B Lancers used to drop bombs in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Being in charge of most flightline repair items on a $283 million aircraft that is saving lives in Afghanistan is no easy task, said Master Sgt. David McGeath, 40th EMXS B-1 aircraft section chief.

"We see the big picture," said Tech. Sgt. Rodney Akers, 40th EMXS crew chief. "Everyone knows that we're not just working on planes to fly training missions for the command. We're maintaining planes that provide coverage and support for Coalition forces."

Maintaining planes that are flying such heavy loads involves a thorough inspection before each departure and after every recovery. The crew chiefs are historically "the first to arrive and last to leave" the aircraft. Their job also involves being the customer service representative to the customer -- the aircrews who fly the jets, Sergeant McGeath said.

It is easier to understand the crew chief position by comparing them to a general auto mechanic. A customer will take a car to a general mechanic for a loud noise in the engine. The mechanic will work on the car to a certain point. However, this particular engine problem might take an engine specialist. At that point, the mechanic will call that specialist to fix the problem. Then, the mechanic gives the car back to the customer and explains the work that needs to be done.

All of the B-1 maintainers at the 40th Air Expeditionary Group are deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. Just like at home, dedicated crew chiefs are assigned to a particular jet, even though their particular jet at home might not be the same jet they are assigned to here.

The biggest benefit of being assigned to a specific aircraft is that the crew chief gets to know all the little knocks and pings that a particular B-1B might have.

"As a crew chief, you know everything you're supposed to know about every B-1, but you really get to know the individual quirks of your plane," said Sergeant McGeath. "It's your airplane as opposed to being just an airplane."

The work load is also greater at this forward-deployed location than at home station. But, Senior Airman Kevin Waxman, 40th EMXS crew chief, said the extra work is no problem.

"We're doing the same kind of work, but at a faster pace," said Airman Waxman. "At home everything we do is training to be ready to do the real thing -- what we're doing here."

Capt. Andrew Hackleman, 40th EMXS maintenance operations officer, said B-1 crew chiefs are among the hardest-working people in the Air Force.

"The B-1 is a complicated and maintenance-intensive weapon system, and the crew chiefs work tirelessly, 24/7, keeping the jet safe and reliable for aircrew," Captain Hackleman said.

The crew chiefs appreciate their boss's sentiments, but their love of the aircraft, their job and the efforts of the U.S. military is what drives many of them to get the job done right.

"If we didn't put forth an effort, the aircraft wouldn't fly," said Sergeant Akers, who has been a crew chief for 15 years. "When every plane lands, everybody wants to rush out and get a pin (from a dropped bomb). Knowing that your efforts are saving lives is a great motivator. It's cool."

During the time they've been at the 40 AEG, crew chiefs have maintained a 76.3 percent mission capable rate, and they haven't missed one of the more than 165 launches this rotation.

Pilots and weapons systems officers flying the B-1s during Operation Enduring Freedom combat missions need to have a solid airplane to provide cover for Coalition ground forces.

Long before a B-1 mission launches from the 40th Air Expeditionary Group, avionics and mechanical maintainers from the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron are putting in long hours to make the flights possible.

There are three primary Air Force specialties for avionics and three for mechanical B-1 maintenance. The avionics specialties are instrument flight control systems, defensive avionics systems and offensive avionics systems. The mechanical specialties are pneudraulic systems, jet-shop propulsion systems, and electrical and environmental systems.

Master Sgt. Rich Bryan, 40th EMXS B-1specialists flight chief, said all six specialties play a critical role in the success of the bomber's mission.

"Each shop has a unique function, but it takes every one to get the job done," said Sergeant Bryan. "It's like meshing of gears taking place that makes us one big team. When we all do our parts, the planes get airborne."

Senior Airman Benjamin Wolfe, 40th EMXS electrical and environmental systems specialist, does a job that is considered mechanical, though aspects of it seem almost scientific in nature. One of the thousands of B-1 components Airman Wolfe is responsible for is the Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generating System.

"We take the engine air that is about 700-900 degrees and use it to cool or heat a wide variety of components that should ideally be between 70 and 80 degrees," said Airman Wolfe. "For example, MSOGS uses six canisters of zeolytic crystals to filter out everything, especially nitrogen, that comes from the air that isn't oxygen into aviator's oxygen. Aviator's oxygen is usually about 90 percent oxygen."

Airman Wolfe said his training gives him the knowledge he needs to play an important role in the war on terrorism.

"We can definitely see how we're important," said Airman Wolfe. "We work on a broad range of critical components that are required for the B-1 to fly. Working here makes you feel like you haven't felt before. When a jet comes back with an empty weapons bay, you have a sense of accomplishment."

Airman 1st Class Simon Montandon, 40th EMXS communications navigation mission systems apprentice, works in the avionics side of the maintenance specialty shops. His primary job is to keep the radar system working so the B-1 crews can be a part of the fight.

"If the crew can't communicate with the ground or navigate where they're at, they can't drop the bombs," said Airman Montandon.

A typical day for Airman Montandon involves briefings from the night shift workers followed by a Foreign Object Damage prevention walk on the flightline. Next, he will sign out the tools he needs to work on his tasks for the day. When an aircraft comes back from a mission, Airman Montandon attends the debriefing to hear first-hand from the aircrews what went right or wrong during the flight. Then it's right back to the flightline to finish his jobs and start new ones based on the information he gathered.

The extra stress of real world combat missions is a motivator for Airman Montandon on this, his first deployment. He said, unlike the training missions, he works at home, here he is using all of his training toward a mission that absolutely has to fly.

Sergeant Bryan said maintainers like Airmen Montandon and Wolfe know that the lives of the crews are in their hands, so they take a great deal of pride in getting the job done right every time.

"When you're signing your name that you fixed the aircraft, you're telling the crew that airplane is safe to fly," said Sergeant Bryan. "The crew sees the write up is cleared, and they have faith that the job is done.

"As a specialist, the job demands a lot of you all the time," said Sergeant Bryan. "There's no greater feeling for these maintainers when they watch the B-1s take off and perform and know they played a big part in making it happen."

The 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions and weapons sections supply the firepower that the B-1 bomber, or "the Bone," uses to support Coalition ground forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Munitions builds the bombs, and weapons loads them in two completely different, yet conditionally related, aspects of the big process.

The casual observer might get a sense that the two sections don't appreciate each other. However, Airmen in both sections describe the relationship as brotherly.

The first step of loading a jet with ammunition is to build the bombs.

Senior Master Sgt. Steven Morrison, 40th EMXS munitions flight chief, said that process starts when his office receives an Air Tasking Order.

"When the ATO comes in, we tell Det. 1 the components we need, and they deliver them to the assembly pad," said Sergeant Morrison. "Tech. Sgt. Wilbert Terrell (36th Maintenance Group Det. 1) and his people do a great job of getting us what we need to put the bombs together and deliver them to the jets."

Airman Kevin Yale, 40th EMXS munitions systems apprentice, is one of the people who works to put the bombs together. This is his first deployment.

"We build (the bombs) on a munitions assembly conveyor," Airman Yale said. "With a good crew, we can build one bomb in about six to eight minutes."

Airman Yale said the typical crew here is about eight or nine people. The crews used to have more builders, but the 40th Air Expeditionary Group's split operations have forward-deployed some of the builders.

Airman Yale said when building the bombs, he works with parts like fins, fuzzies, strakes, lanyards and fuses.

"It feels pretty good," Airman Yale said about putting together weapons used in real combat situations. "There's some extra pride involved. We put the ‘power' in air power."

Once they are done building, 40th EMXS munitions line delivery personnel drive the bombs to the flightline, where the weapons and armament sections fill their roles in the process of getting the bombs to the fight.

The two weapons sections are responsible for more than just loading bombs.

Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Semler, 40th Air Expeditionary Group weapons manager, said the two shops are also responsible for scheduled maintenance on their equipment, troubleshooting, weapons configuration, reconciliation and after-fire inspecting.

"After a rack is fired, carbon builds up in the racks," said Senior Airman Brekke McNair, 40th EMXS aircraft armament. "We have to make sure we get everything ready for the jet to do it all again. We make sure the pins and connectors are clean and working properly. If anything breaks, it won't be able to drop the bombs."

Airman 1st Class Cody Mazur, also from aircraft armament, said training at home station has given him the knowledge he needs to complete his mission in the deployed environment.

"This is the real version of what we prepare for at home," said Airman Mazur. "There's no space for error here because every time you do your job, you might be saving someone on the ground."

Once everything is ready, crews of four Airmen from the armament section load the weapons on the aircraft. Once the weapons are loaded, armament and weapons Airmen continue the process until they get the opportunity to greet a returning aircrew.

"It's an adrenaline rush," said Senior Airman Jose Oropeza, 40th EMXS weapons loader. "You get excited when a jet you loaded comes back empty."