Dyess unit wins AF maintenance award

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DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (ACCNS) --    The 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here recently earned the Air Forces 2003 Maintenance Effectiveness Award for a large squadron.

Winning the Maintenance Effectiveness Award at Air Combat Command is a huge accomplishment, but to take top honors at the Air Force level is beyond words, said Col. Robert Dickmeyer, 7th Maintenance Group commander. In my scant 27-year career, Ive never seen a unit develop quite so quickly to become a focused fighting machine.

And for the 7th AMXS to do this while facing the challenges of high-visibility deployments, historic B-1 surges and multiple Operational Readiness Exercises, is truly remarkable.

During its first operational year, Dyess 7th AMXS has overcome a variety of maintenance challenges including the largest B-1 bomber deployment in history -- accomplishing a record of all on time take-offs with no diverts.

The 7th AMXS also successfully handled three surges in operations, previously unheard of in the B-1 community. The first while Dyess AFB was deployed to Andersen Air Base, Guam, then two more back at Dyess. During the most recent surge, the wing, with support from 7th AMXS, successfully launched 114 flights in 68 hours, which resulted in 321 simulated bomb runs.

Despite the challenges, the maintenance squadron bested the ACC mission capability rate for the first 12 months of its existence a feat no bomber community ever achieved.

We are very proud of how we have responded to the challenges we have faced, said Lt. Col. James Green, 7th AMXS commander. Being in maintenance is a tough lifestyle and winning a tremendous award like this shows the dedication and professionalism each member of our team has.

According to Colonel Green, the squadrons success came from outstanding efforts across the board.

I have to say that Capt. Heather Cooley did an absolutely tremendous job making this package, Colonel Green said. She didnt have a team of people helping her -- it was all her and she was able to completely capture our outstanding efforts on paper.

But, our enlisted force was truly the backbone of our success, Colonel Green said. For example, our senior enlisted leaders are simply as good as it gets -- anyone can see that from the results.

According to squadron officials, though no singular entity is responsible for the units success. It happened due to the efforts of more than 860 members working toward a common goal.

From day one, 7th AMXS has worked very hard to establish itself as a single squadron, focused on a single objective safely launching and recovering Americas premier bomber, Colonel Dickmeyer said. To that end, each AMU, each shop and each section has put aside their individuality and worked in harmony to develop a single mindset for B-1 sustainment.

Despite the recent accolades, the 7th AMXS remains focused on its continued success in the future.

We are now in the midst of preparing for a deployment, Colonel Green said. We are going to take our outstanding capabilities with us when we deploy. We are the best at what we do and we are ready to get out there, show it and prove it again.