If you break it, they will come

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Outside, there is a simple, painted sign: “If you break it, we can make it.” Inside, there is an array of equipment, somewhat reminiscent of a high-school machine shop.

On either side, the fabrication branch Airmen here have a vital mission: To fix or make the parts and tools needed to keep the 355th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt IIs flying over Afghanistan, said Staff Sgt. Marc Sellers. He is the fabrication branch flight chief for the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

“The A-10 is a very old aircraft, so you can’t get a lot of parts anymore,” he said. “We’ll repair worn or broken parts and bring them back into (the manufacturer’s specifications for safe flying). If we can’t fix the part, we can make it.”

The branch uses basic material -- sheet metal and metal bar stock -- to do their job.

“Mostly, we make the skin, brackets and ribs for the A-10,” Sergeant Sellers said. “But, if you hand me a chunk of metal, I can hand you back a pair of pliers.”

Working here is much different than operations at Eielson AFB, Alaska, where all the Airmen in the fabrication branch are based. The biggest difference here is not having a full range of machining equipment to use.

“We have a pipe bender at home that allows us to whip out hydraulic lines quickly,” Sergeant Sellers said. “Here, when we make a hydraulic line, we have to fill a metal tube with sand, crimp the ends and beat on the tube until it’s the right shape; the job is a lot more physical. We are making repairs the way they were done 30 years ago.”

Airmen in the shop find themselves working on all types of projects -- even those for other services.

“None of the other services have the same fabrication capabilities,” Sergeant Sellers said. “We fit projects in for the Army, Navy and Marines when we have time.”

In a typical day, he said, the team spends about 70 percent of its time working Air Force issues and 10 percent each making parts or equipment for the other three services.

Recently, the Airmen put together a tool to replace bearings on Army helicopter stabilizers.

“One of the stabilizers has two bearings that (maintainers need) to repair,” Sergeant Sellers said. “Before we made the tool, they had to send the stabilizer away to be repaired -- which often took (up to) four weeks. Now, the Army maintainers can remove the stabilizer here and fix the problem in four hours.”

They also repaired a nitrogen cart for the Army, which was destroyed after it fell off a forklift.

“We stripped the cart down, repaired the frame and put it back together,” Sergeant Sellers said. “Now, the cart is back in service, looks like new, and we saved the military about $45,000.”

No matter what task is before the branch, the job requires a lot of innovation. One of the oddest tools the team made here looked “like a robot octopus,” Sergeant Sellers said.

“We built a contraption that lets (maintainers) drain the fuel from an A-10 -- the aircraft has four independent fuel drain valves,” he said. “Before we built this item, the weapons team had to remove all the weapons from the aircraft for safety. Then, the maintainers had to drain each valve separately. With this tool, (maintainers) can drain all four valves at the same time.”

An additional benefit of the new tool is for the weapons team. The Airmen can put munitions in “safe” mode instead of removing them.

“Anytime we make a repair or develop a new technique, we check with a technical expert,” Sergeant Sellers said. “That way, we ensure we stay within specifications, and that the procedure is safe.”

The Airmen in the branch said they enjoy the different aspects of their job here.

“I enjoy welding (aerospace ground equipment),” said Senior Airman Brian Wakelee. “It’s not something we do at home, and I think it’s somewhat relaxing.”

“I get to see a direct result of my work,” said Staff Sgt. Zabud Carper. “When we finish repairing an airplane, we know those A-10s are flying combat missions. When pilots come back talking about dropping munitions and everyone’s excited, it makes it more real.”

“I like having the responsibility and the tools to get an airplane fixed and back in the game -- to have 200 people depending on me,” Sergeant Sellers said. “This job has become especially rewarding [because] I’m here representing the people who were lost in September 2001, and I’m helping secure our future from terrorist threats.”