C-5 team achieves '23 in '03'

  • Published
  • By Lanorris Askew
  • Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Maintainers here cut four months off individual C-5 Galaxy programmed depot maintenance times in fiscal 2003 which allowed them to deliver a center-record 23rd cargo giant back to the warfighter Sept. 24.

The 23rd aircraft represented the most C-5s center workers have ever taken through PDM in a single year. World events pushed C-5 production goals here from 17 aircraft in fiscal 2002 to 23 in fiscal 2003.

During a ceremony celebrating the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center milestone, Maj. Gen. Don Wetekam, center commander, said his message to the C-5 program depot maintenance team was a simple one.

"I'm proud of you," he said. "I've been looking forward to this day for most of this fiscal year."

As the final C-5 taxied to the runway for its trip home, a sea of C-5 workers sat to its left, clad in white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, "We Did It." With a crowd of nearly 1,000 looking on, Wetekam said although making the promise to deliver the 23 C-5s in 2003 was his idea, making the commitment was the easy part.

"From those who worked on the floor boards to those in the air base wing, I'm proud of what you have accomplished," he said.

He added that Robins has struggled with its C-5 production, but he knew the right leaders were in place to make that a thing of the past.

"When we struggle, we all struggle," he said. "When we fall short, we all fall short; but when we succeed, we all succeed."

Calling this achievement a long-term success, Col. Ed Connolly, C-5 production chief, said what is being seen today is the dividend of hard work that has built up steam during the past several years.

"We got here because of the solid foundation laid by supervisors in the C-5, both today and in the past," he said. "This is not a flash-in-the-pan success. We will continue to see an increase in the reduction of flow days, increase in customer support and cost-cutting."

"In my 34 years in logistics command, I have never seen anything at this level," said Jim Culpepper, maintenance directorate director.

Besides reaching the goal, Culpepper said that in the past seven months there have been zero defects reported on aircraft returned to the user.

Wetekam ended the ceremony by saying the efforts must continue.

"I don't see anyone ready to rest on their laurels," he said. "We have a job to do for our warfighter, and we do that exceedingly well."

The first C-5 Galaxy inducted into programmed depot maintenance at Robins arrived Jan. 7, 1998. Since then, center workers have completed maintenance on 101 C-5s. The Air Force currently has 126 C-5 aircraft in its inventory -- two C-models, 50 B-models and 74 A-models. (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)