AGE keeps maintainers in business

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett
  • 457th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (AFPN) --  They are the veins and arteries that carry the lifeblood to hundreds of workers keeping the coalition bombing effort pumping on time.

The maintainers and bomb loaders depend on the airmen of the aerospace ground equipment shop to keep the flightline moving. Because of them, the heart of the mission continues to beat on.

The AGE shop airmen provide everything maintainers need from mobile generation sets that supply power, to portable lighting for a mission that goes on during the night.

"AGE supports everything on the flightline," said Tech. Sgt. Dave Oian, the noncommissioned officer in charge. "We're there at every recovery, every launch and everywhere in between."

AGE airmen not only supply the equipment that maintainers need, they also inspect and maintain the equipment, averaging about 40 to 50 dispatches per day, Oian added.

"We definitely feel a sense of urgency here that we don't feel at our home station," said Oian, who, along with his team of 10, is deployed from Minot Air Force Base, N.D. "At home, if a training sortie doesn't go then it'll just go another day. Here, it's critical that sorties go. There is a definite timeline that comes down, and our job is to support that timeline to the best of our ability."

When the team arrived at its forward-deployed location, they brought with them 60 pieces of equipment ranging from maintenance stands to air compressors. The rest of the equipment was stored there as war readiness materials. These materials were checked every 90 days.

When the team arrived, its first days were spent rechecking the equipment. All of it was in perfect working order, said Oian, except for the aircraft jacks.

"The 30-ton jacks used on (large bombers) were 'Red X'd (not certified) only because this base didn't have testing capabilities," he said. "We were able to get to another base to have them tested, and returned 100 percent of them to mission-capable status in only three days."

The amount of equipment available is vital here, said Oian, where operations are 24 hours. The AGE shop airmen work 12-hour shifts feeding the flightline.

"We're always moving," Oian said. "With jets in the front, back and all sides of (us), we have to keep our heads on a swivel.

"One of the most important parts of our job is safety," Oian said. "Safety is paramount because there (are) a lot of chances to get hurt out here. But the most important thing is making sure the maintainers have what they need, when they need it."

Their philosophy of doing business is appreciated, according to Master Sgt. Joseph Spicciati, weapons loader superintendent.

"The support we've received has been awesome. They definitely keep us in business," he said. "If I have a (weapons loader) down, I just call a member of the team, and I'm guaranteed to have it in no more than 30 minutes."

Or as Oian likes to say, "There's no air power without ground power."

And the mission's heart beats on and on.