Quality assurance Airmen ensure aircraft maintenance success

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  From training Kunsan's maintainers to evaluating weapon's standards, the 8th Maintenance Group's behind-the-scenes Airmen are entrusted with many mission-essential tasks, but one flight, ensures the quality of workmanship here.

"Our office has the responsibility to ensure maintenance standards are being met," said Tech. Sgt. Richard Crossley, 8th Maintenance Operations Squadron aerospace ground equipment quality assurance inspector. "It may seem oversimplified, but I view my job as making sure the NCOs are doing their job."

The quality assurance flight, or QA, contributes to the Wolf Pack's mission by evaluating the quality and accuracy of all maintenance performed by flightline and back shop personnel, and by ensuring the facilities are in inspection order at all times.

"We are the eyes and ears of the maintenance group commander," said Tech. Sgt. Barry Armstrong, 8th MXG weapons QA inspector. "Each of us is a sensor and an extension of his will and policy. We are charged with providing him with an accurate sight picture of how strictly his maintainers are following their technical manuals."

Armstrong went on to explain how QA effectively facilitates the safe and successful completion of the Wolf Pack's mission.

"Without properly maintained aircraft, we cannot defend the base," he said. "If our maintenance facilities are improperly outfitted or distributed, we cannot accept follow-on forces. And if the personnel aren't doing their jobs exactly as written, we cannot take the fight north."

During either an inspection or an evaluation, QA doesn't simply write the offender up, but instead they provide feedback.

"If I find an individual responsible for a documentation error I try to find that person, show them what they did wrong and provide training to mitigate it from happening again," Crossley said.

"The evaluations we perform are looked at by all levels of supervision within the maintenance group," added Armstrong. "Immediately after an inspection is performed, an on-shift supervisor is briefed of the pass, fail and discrepancy criteria. After it goes through our database, it is reviewed by the shift lead and the chief inspector, and gets sent out at the aircraft maintenance unit level the following day."

Armstrong said this gives the AMU a chance to review and moderate the evaluation before it gets briefed to the squadron and group leadership at the end of the month.

"Having everyone from the lowest Airman to the group commander involved in the inspection raises awareness and is vital to correcting negative maintenance trends and assisting in the root cause analysis and operational risk management processes," he said.

But according to Armstrong, there is the potential for issues in any unit. He said working in QA at Kunsan has been the best opportunity the Air Force has extended him in his more than 14 years of service.

"Only when the process actually breaks does anyone care to fix it or improve it," he said. "As a member of the quality assurance team, we identify these types of issues on a daily basis. Whether it's a technical manual that is unclear and needs revision, an Air Force Instruction missing a vital procedure because the new changes were not edited properly, or simply a new piece of equipment we haven't seen before, we are involved every step of the way."

However, Armstrong said Kunsan QA is unique and consists of only the finest maintenance professionals.

"This is not a place for the faint of heart or the weak of mind," he said. "The high operations tempo and personnel turnover rates at Kunsan demand that anyone coming into this job be the best and brightest their career field has to offer."

As evident by an "Excellent" rating in last year's operational readiness inspection and a continued strive for excellence in all Kunsan maintainers do, those involved in the training, evaluations and inspections of the 8th MXG facilitate a culture of compliance.

"A keen intellect and the ability to remain flexible through all of the additional taskers, extracurricular activities and interactions with all levels of wing leadership are all necessary to the performance of our mission," Armstrong said. "We make sure the 8th MXG are the best and proudest professionals in the Wolf Pack."

[Editor's note: This is part three of a three part series highlighting 8th MXG flights charged with ensuring Kunsan maintenance Airmen are completing the mission in compliance with set Air Force standards.]