Putting the pieces together

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. A.C. Eggman
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Detachment 1 Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  It is like putting together a puzzle; where does each piece fit? In the case of aircraft maintenance here, how can aircraft best fit on the ramp?

"With limited space, it's almost like playing Tetris," said Maj. Stella Smith, Detachment 1 Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "With construction (on the ramp) and the different aircraft coming in, parking is a juggling act."

Because of ongoing construction on the flightline, maintainers can squeeze aircraft in five parking spots versus many more spots they would usually find at home station.

The base averages about 20 aircraft arrivals a day, mostly C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft. On the busiest days, they receive up to 30 aircraft.

"The size of the ramp is really a big challenge," Smith said. "It is not very big at all. There is also the unpredictability of what (types) of aircraft land here. We don't have a daily, stable schedule."

Because ramp space is limited, Master Sgt. Kent Henderson, EMXS superintendent, said he had to manually calculate which types of aircraft could be parked side-by-side and behind each other before the first aircraft landed.

The ramp can hold four C-17s, or one C-5 and a C-130, Henderson said.

"Everything has to work out perfectly -- work in sequence," he said. "Parking spots don't get cold here. They turn (the aircraft) pretty fast. Most are gas n' gos."

Most aircraft are off the ground within two hours or less.

The challenge of working in an austere environment has not affected working relationships -- just the opposite. The 17 airmen from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and the 22 airmen from McChord AFB, Wash., have meshed well, Smith said. The team has almost all aircraft specialties, and the airmen can fix almost anything on a C-5 and C-17. If a C-130 breaks, they must request a team from another base in theater.

Working 24 hours, "they can fix almost anything that hits the ramp," Smith said. With so many different types of aircraft flying in, “they have had the chance to stretch (their) expertise."

"We're really working well together," said Staff Sgt. Stephen Martin, a C-5 jet engine mechanic from Dover. "We show (McChord airmen) things about our aircraft, and they show us things about their (C-17) aircraft."

“Weather also plays a big factor in getting the aircraft on and off the ramp," Martin said. "Sometimes we have fog roll in or have overcast. Once it clears, all of a sudden you have a deluge of aircraft at once."

There is also the occasional sand storm that can cause havoc with the flying schedule because of low visibility, he said.

But the team does not seem to mind. McChord airmen arrived here in October and worked nearly 40 days without a day off before being relieved by the Dover airmen who arrived in November. Now they work a normal 12-hour shift, with six days on and one day off.

"I look at it like it’s fun and something different from home station," said Airman 1st Class Robert Highutt, an aircraft electronic and environmental specialist from McChord. "I actually like it. It's more of a challenge."

Smith said that attitude is common in the squadron, especially after several of the airmen heard Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Boles, commander of 3rd Corps Support Command, equate the number of convoys avoided with each aircraft delivery, which saves lives and time.

An air delivery by a C-5 and C-17 represents 18 convoys. About every three pallets an aircraft brings in, one truck is not used, saving seven to nine days by convoy and keeping two soldiers per truck from potential exposure to enemy action.

"They really connect with that," Smith said. "They understand what we're doing here is important. They're really proud (of) keeping people out of harm’s way."