Depots would amaze warfighters, senior maintainer says

  • Published
  • By Air Force Materiel Command News Service report
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  When in 1979 Capt. Terry Gabreski was the officer in charge of a maintenance unit, she knew little about what the Air Force's air logistics centers did.

"I wasn't very informed about the logistics center end of our business until I got to AFMC in 1995 - if I had known in my captain days what I know now, I'd have worked harder to get smart about this business," she recalled. "The things our people are doing in the depots are amazing."

Today, as the vice commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski is the Air Force's senior maintainer and logistician. She doesn't come eye to intake with aircraft engines much anymore, but in her current job she helps guide the many efforts responsible for keeping the entire Air Force fleet flying.

"Our biggest challenges today are aging aircraft and incredible ops tempo," she said during an interview as she prepared for a 12-day trip to Pacific Air Forces. While visiting PACAF March 2-13, she is talking to maintainers and operators at several bases to hear first-hand about challenges they're confronting. Her schedule includes stops at Yokota Air Base, Japan; Osan and Kunsan Air Bases in South Korea; Anderson Air Force Base, Guam; and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

"Both on the flight line and in the depots, maintainers today are being challenged - sometimes severely - to keep aging aircraft operational and safe," General Gabreski said. "And in many cases, maintainers at all levels are met with the surprises of an aging fleet on a daily basis."

AFMC is the major command responsible for the Air Force's three maintenance depots, otherwise known as air logistics centers. Each is a huge industrial facility. They are located at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Tinker Air Force Bas, Okla., and Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Together the depots employ more than half of the approximately 58,000 Air Force civilians who serve in AFMC.

A good example of the critical contributions AFMC depot workers bring to the operational commands is the role of the Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins in inspecting the F-15 fleet and manufacturing a critical part following the Nov. 2 crash of an F-15C in Missouri.

"Everyone flying the F-15 felt the impact of that crash, because initially the entire fleet of F-15s was grounded. Warner-Robins employees have been critical teammates in all the work required to return the F-15s to flight," the general said about the depot's workers. "Our Warner-Robins F-15 program office, supply chain managers and maintenance wing employees provided responsive and proactive support as we worked through these issues."

The depot confronted a problem typical of the challenge in maintaining aging aircraft. The identified failed part hadn't been manufactured in more than 20 years. Hundreds of hours and six-day work weeks were required of team members to develop software, produce models, convert blueprints and shape a 300-pound aluminum slab using a computer-guided machine with 17 cutting heads.

"They believe they can produce two longerons a week once the first one is installed and checks out," General Gabreski said.

If cleared to proceed, the Warner-Robins ALC initially will produce 15 longerons. After that run, Air Combat Command will assess what else it may need from AFMC to keep as many as possible of the oldest F-15s ready to fly.

"Whether it's aging fleets or cutting edge technology supporting fleets we are trying to field, our air logistics centers recognize they only succeed if the warfighter succeeds - they are focused on that every single day."