Vehicle maintainers keep operations rolling

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  The flightline here is a hive of activity as vehicles swarm about accomplishing various tasks: a jammer carries bombs here, a loader removes cargo from a C-17 Globemaster III over there.

Should one of those vehicles break, it could have catastrophic consequences for the mission, so ensuring that does not happen, or minimizing the effect if it does, is a top priority.

That is the mission of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance flight. Put simply: “We fix broken trucks,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Logan, a 455th ELRS mechanic.

Although the basic premise is simple, carrying out that mission is not. A harsh environment and long supply chain can make working on any of the 149 vehicles a challenge.

“We are able to fix any vehicle,” Sergeant Logan said. “We can do simple tasks like replacing headlights and taillights, or we can do more difficult ones such as replacing engines.”

Each maintainer here has general knowledge about vehicle mechanics and is able to fix anything that rolls, or is towed, through their doors.

“Once you have the basics, everything else falls into place,” Sergeant Logan said.

Even with those basics, working on equipment ranging from refuelers and de-icers to all-terrain vehicles can be somewhat challenging, because the environment is tough on vehicles. The dusty conditions quickly clog air filters, while rough, rocky roads play havoc on tires, he said.

While keeping the vehicles running is extremely important in a desert environment, keeping track of those vehicles and ensuring each vehicle comes in for scheduled maintenance is also important.

“We have to report what percentage of our vehicles (are working) to higher headquarters,” said Airman 1st Class Matthew Campbell, 455th ELRS scheduler. “I ensure we get these vehicles for their regular lube, oil and filter change or scheduled in for annual maintenance. Keeping close track of maintenance helps us keep our (vehicles working).”

Airman Campbell is also responsible for ordering parts through supply, tracking them as they move through the system and putting them on the shelves. Once the part comes in, he schedules the vehicle for repair.

“If it is a critical component, we can bring the vehicle in, pull the part off the shelf and repair the vehicle,” he said. “Much of the time, though, we can keep the part on the shelf until the vehicle comes in for regularly scheduled maintenance -- that minimizes how long the vehicle is not available to the mission.”

Since it can take up to three weeks to get parts, the vehicle maintainers often have to use the joint environment here to their advantage.

“We have to do a lot of horse trading,” said Master Sgt. Claude Armstrong, noncommissioned officer in charge of vehicle maintenance for the 455th ELRS. “We can use the supply system to get our parts here, but often other units on base have them. We have pretty good rapport with them, and so everyone is able to get their missions done as quickly as possible.”

At times, though, even trying to get crucial parts through other organizations does not work. Then, the maintainers have to improvise to get the vehicle running.

“You have to make stuff work,” Sergeant Logan said. “The vehicles are crucial to keeping the mission going.”

“Our first priority is ensuring any improvised repairs will not make the vehicle unsafe,” Sergeant Armstrong said. “If it will, we won’t do the repair, and we remove the vehicle from service until we can get the right part. When we are able to repair the vehicle, though, the guys here have done some outstanding work to get a vehicle repaired and back on the line”

For example, the fuel system broke recently in a bucket truck being used to make runway repairs. Staff Sgt. Michael Jones, another 455th ELRS mechanic, made a new fuel system for the truck with parts from a different vehicle, which saved a lot of time.

“We couldn’t wait for the part to come in,” Sergeant Armstrong said. “If Sergeant Jones hadn’t rebuilt the system, then civil engineers couldn’t pour concrete for the runway.”

The maintainers also do a lot of work on equipment used to unload cargo from various aircraft. Most of them are older than 30 years, and yet the team keeps them running smoothly -- which is important since the cargo aircraft bring in the supplies and parts needed in other organizations to keep the mission running, Sergeant Armstrong said.

“What I do is very necessary to keeping the mission going,” Sergeant Logan said. “Anyone who (uses) a vehicle needs us.”

“Doing this job gives me an incredible sense of accomplishment and a great sense of pride,” Sergeant Jones said. “I can see how I (affect) the rest of the unit.”