The supply tent in the vehicle management section of maintenance town here is a good illustration of just how busy the flight is right now. Packed from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with spare parts, it doesn’t hold everything needed to keep the base’s fleet of nearly 300 vehicles running.

Behind it are three 20-foot Connex boxes with more parts, and beside those are stacks of parts that don’t have a home yet. Two new 50-foot Connex boxes are on the way to hold not only what’s already in stock, but also the nearly $300,000 worth on order.

“This looks like a lot of stuff, but it doesn’t even come close to what we need in stock,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Stitner, assistant noncommissioned officer in charge of vehicle maintenance.

The fleet is old, said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Grove, fleet manager. About 50 percent of the vehicles are “replaceable,” but in an expeditionary setting that isn’t likely to happen so they work to keep what’s available in the best condition possible.

With high numbers of troops passing through, everyone in the flight is busy, said Senior Maser Sgt. Kevin Fecteau, the flight chief here. Drivers spend about 19 hours a day shuttling bags and Soldiers in buses. Maintainers working on dozens of other vehicles also work to keep the buses healthy, and planners’ phones ring off the hook as they keep the whole operation running smoothly.

This week, everyone will take turns working 14-hour days to keep up with the demand, he said.

The demand includes repairing vehicles like the fire truck and de-icer recently damaged in accidents, and everything from Humvees to heavy machinery. Even without the troop movements, the 20-member flight has its hands full, said Master Sgt. Timothy Hughes, vehicle maintenance superintendent.

Anything with an Air Force license plate -- from the jet maintainer’s de-icers to the engines the fuels flight uses to pump fuel -- is theirs to keep track of, upgrade and repair as needed. They are also the base liaison for maintenance of contracted vehicles, and arranging for shuttles into town for squadron functions.

Compounding the logistical puzzle is the fact that Manas AB has “the Air Force’s longest supply line, except for Antarctica,” Sergeant Fecteau said. Commonly replaced parts are always in stock or on order, but when vehicles are damaged in accidents, getting the parts here from the U.S. can be tricky.

“Most people only see us as the place they drop off the keys when their vehicle is broken,” Sergeant Hughes said. “You can see, we do so much more than that.”

In their favor, this team, mostly comprised of troops deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. and Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., brings a variety of specializations and experience to the flight, he said. Between hard work and ingenuity, they are keeping the wing mobile.