Robins C-130 team reaching accelerated goals

  • Published
  • By Lanorris Askew
  • Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
Air Force Special Operations Command warfighters are getting back to work quicker thanks to aircraft maintainers shaving 30 days off programmed depot maintenance on four AFSOC aircraft.

Workers here recently released one Combat Talon II aircraft to the AFSOC customers 34 days ahead of schedule. It arrived at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center here Sept. 24 and was scheduled for release March 18.

The first of the remaining four aircraft, an AC-130H gunship, seems to be on the same course, according to Robins officials. It has completed programmed depot maintenance 15 days ahead of schedule.

The remaining two Combat Talons are at the functional test stage, well ahead of schedule, according to Don Jarzynka, C-130 production branch chief.

In December, AFSOC officials asked Robins' C-130 branch experts to accelerate work on the four C-130s and get them back to the warfighter. According to Jarzynka, this accelerated schedule moves things up about a month.

"We gave (our workers) a really aggressive accelerated schedule," he said. "Overtime rose from 8 percent to 25 percent over a six-week period when the accelerated process began."

He said the goal was to accelerate the four requested aircraft while keeping the other aircraft on schedule.

"That has been our biggest challenge," he said. "But, so far we have been very successful.

"The workforce has really been motivated in doing their part to support the worldwide situation," Jarzynka said.

He said some employees have worked 12-hour shifts seven days a week to get the accelerated aircraft out, and they are still highly productive until the plane is out of their cell.

"It's a total team effort," said Jarzynka. "The special operations forces are rapidly deploying to some very difficult locations and need virtually every aircraft available and mission-capable now." (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)