A-10 team garners 2015 Roche sustainment excellence award

  • Published
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFNS) --  The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s A-10 division at Hill Air Force Base has been honored with the 2015 Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award.

Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, the Air Force Materiel Command commander, presented the award to Dawn Sutton and the A-10 System Program Office on Aug. 31. Sutton leads the team charged with supporting the Air Force’s fleet of 283 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

Named after Dr. James Roche, a former U.S. Navy officer and the 20th secretary of the Air Force, the award is presented annually to the AFMC aircraft program office with the most improved performance in fleet sustainment during the given fiscal year. Metrics evaluated for the award included aircraft availability, mission capable and cannibalization rates, along with non-mission capable rates for supply and maintenance.

During fiscal year 2015, the A-10 fleet flew nearly 87,000 worldwide flying hours and delivered an aircraft availability rate of 67.9 percent, a 5 percent gain over the previous year. Sutton said the depot maintenance team reduced depot possessed aircraft to the lowest rate in a decade, and field maintenance personnel reduced the rate of aircraft designated not mission capable with maintenance discrepancies by nearly 20 percent to 13.9 percent. During the period, the team also reduced the cost per flying hour over $2,000 to $17,138, AFLCMC officials said.

The maintenance, repair and operational improvements were noted to have taken place while executing A-10 combat operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as a short-notice theater support package in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to demonstrate U.S. resolve toward security and stability in Eastern Europe.