Strategic maintenance, expertise employed in SWA

  • Published
  • By Maj. Ann Peru Knabe
  • 379th Expeditionary Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (ACCNS) --  Although they are technically tenants on this base, Airmen assigned to the 8th Expeditionary Aircraft Squadron Maintenance Flight turn and crank thousands of hours of work over the course of a rotation.

The mission of the 8th EAMS Maintenance Flight is to provide strategic maintenance on intertheater and intratheater heavy aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy, as well as transient maintenance on aircraft such as the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender.

“We mostly deal with launching and recovery of aircraft and the removal and replacement of parts,” said Maj. Edward Sekerak, strategic maintenance officer in charge. “But our mission has increased to include some backshop maintenance capabilities, like [structure maintenance] and fuel cell repair, which allows us to be more of a normal enroute unit as opposed to a gas-n-go, quick turn operation. This helps the mission tremendously, because if you can’t fix an aircraft here, you need to send it out of the theater, and subsequently we lose warfighting capabilities.”

Major Sekerak said the strong partnership with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and Expeditionary Maintenance Group maximizes the squadron’s capabilities, who, without their help, could not make the mission happen.

“C-17 backshop personnel augmentation allowed us to do the first ever field repair of a torn thrust reverser, which allowed the aircraft’s return home for permanent repairs and to replace fuel tank probes without having to send them to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, for fuel cell work,” he said.

The unit’s diverse taskings and combined talents offer deployed Airmen unique opportunities for growth.

“I’ve learned a tremendous amount in the short time I’ve been here,” said Staff Sgt. Troy Bencke, an aircraft hydraulics specialist from McChord Air Force Base, Wash. “We’re integrated with Charleston [AFB, S.C.,] Airmen and maintainers who specialize in different areas. For example, you might have a hydraulics guy working right next to an engine specialist.”

Sergeant Bencke, who is serving his first deployment in the desert, said coalition partners also add to the integrated mix, resulting in a rich learning experience.

“Even the Brits are involved,” he said, referring to Airmen from the United Kingdom who occasionally fly C-17s into the area of responsibility.

Some of the deployed Airmen here perform different jobs than those at their home units. Senior Master Sgt. Robert Stone, a reservist deployed from the 446th Maintenance Squadron based at McChord, serves as a sheet metal technician. Here in the desert, he serves as a strategic maintenance production supervisor.

“Desert duty is a little different,” said Sergeant Stone. “Our folks perform maintenance with limited resources compared to back home. A lot of times we’re simply waiting for the parts and equipment, but everyone here has a professional ‘can-do’ attitude.”

Like Sergeant Bencke, Sergeant Stone said his desert deployment gives him additional insight on how other bases do things differently.

“Together we gather each other’s ideas, benchmark and increase our corporate intelligence as a maintenance team,” he said.

He also added working together and benchmarking are keys to meeting the demands of an intense maintenance work load.

Strategic Maintenance Airmen work around the clock to ensure all C-17 operations are covered. Most of the Airmen come from McGuire AFB, N.J., McChord and Charleston AFB, S.C. A few of the C-5 maintainers and supply troops are deployed from Travis AFB, Calf., and Dover AFB, Del. Together, they work together to meet the needs of a dynamic, ever-changing mission.

“We have to be very flexible because of the fluid operations and needs of many customers,” said Major Sekerak, who is deployed from the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan. “Our most important customers are the soldiers and warfighters on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indirectly, we serve them by taking them to the fight, bringing them back home and supporting them. We bring these troops supplies, equipment, blood and ammunition. Strategic Maintenance is definitely a part of the big picture mission.”