Logistics officers learn about ALC mission

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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --   A group of logistics and maintenance officers here traveled to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., recently to learn more about the center's maintenance operations.

2nd Lt. Matthew Dougherty, assistant officer in charge of one of the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's aircraft maintenance units, said he organized the trip to build camaraderie and to find out what happens to aircraft when they are sent to the WRALC for depot maintenance.

"It'll help us do our jobs better," said Lieutenant Dougherty. "We will be able to explain why aircraft or parts aren't coming back from depot right away."

The group got to see everything from F-15 radomes being stripped of paint by a high-voltage light machine to learning the repair status of some of their unit's aircraft in the center's "hospital."

"It was good to see those aircraft again," said Capt. Douglas Kuhn, a member of the 33rd AMS and a crash investigation officer for one of the aircraft being fixed at the WRALC. "It's been awhile since I've seen it and it looks like it's going well."

The people at the WRALC perform extensive maintenance and repair operations on a variety of aircraft in the Air Force inventory, including various models of the F-15 Eagle, the C-5 Galaxy, the C-141 Starlifter and the C-17 Globemaster III. The center's mission is to provide comprehensive depot-level maintenance and repair to U.S. air and space weapon systems.

The Air Force operates three ALCs, and the mission is one the people working at them take very seriously and enjoy, said Col. David Nakayama, the WRALC's director of support equipment and vehicle management directorate. The center strives to return to its customers the best possible weapon systems and support equipment.

One of the tour's highlights, the F-15 Programmed Depot Maintenance cells, illustrated the in-depth maintenance that's performed on the aircraft. Because it's so detailed, the maintenance cannot be performed at an aircraft's home base and it has to be sent to an ALC, said Lt. Col. Alex Cruz, F-15 Programmed Depot Maintenance deputy director.

In a 104-day process, the WRALC workforce can strip an F-15 down to its bare fuselage and inspect every inch of the aircraft. Each of the 738 F-15s in the Air Force's inventory rotate through PDM every six years.

After the tour, most of the group came away with a different, more positive impression of the center's commitment to its mission. They also learned much more than they previously knew about the WRALC.

"I highly suggest that every maintenance officer visit an ALC if they get a chance," said 2nd Lt. Kristy Rasmussen, a member of the 46th Maintenance Squadron.