PACAF maintainers recognized for job well done

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  There is little doubt that Misawa's maintainers worked hard this past year. In addition to all the work that goes into maintaining the home station mission and aircraft, the 35th Maintenance Group had to overcome back-to-back deployments and an ORI. In the end, all that hard work paid off for the maintainers.

The vice chief of staff of the Air Force presented PACAF with the Gen. Wilbur L. Creech Maintenance Excellence award Jan. 16. For its contribution to the command, Misawa was awarded the PACAF Maintenance Effectiveness award.

The Creech award honors the major command demonstrating the most improved performance in aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness. It is named after Gen. Wilbur L. "Bill" Creech, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran who flew more than 40 different military fighter, cargo and reconnaissance aircraft during his career.

From October 2006 to September 2007, PACAF logged nearly 110,000 flying hours to locations throughout the world. During this period, the more than 10,000 maintainers in the command increased maintenance and supply mission capability rates, and aircraft fix rates, as well as decreased customer wait times.

"This award embodies what General Creech believed in and the importance of the maintenance career fields," said Gen. Howie Chandler, PACAF commander. "This is an honor for the logisticians and maintainers in PACAF."

Within PACAF, the Maintenance Effectiveness award recognizes a unit's outstanding management of their resources. Key factors in Misawa winning this award include two consecutive AEF rotations and an "Outstanding" rating during the ORI. In addition, Misawa flew more than 8,000 sorties and nearly 20,000 hours,  a more than 50 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. Misawa also beat PACAF standards for total not mission capable supply by 2.5 percent, the abort rate by .2 percent, cannibalization rate by 1.3 percent, repeat/recur rate by .6 percent and the flying schedule effectiveness rate by 2.8 percent.

Members of the 35th Maintenance Group contribute their success to maintenance discipline and five pillars - training, safety, technical order usage, documentation and integrity.

"Training makes sure maintainers have the knowledge and skills to perform the job," explained Master Sgt. Ronaldo Bayquen, 35th Maintenance Operations Squadron maintenance data systems superintendent. "Safety is paramount when lives and equipment are on the line. T.O. usage is essential to making all the steps are accomplished in the proper order. Documenting all maintenance actions provide leadership/experts with data required to properly manage the fleet. Integrity is 'doing the right thing even when nobody is watching.'"

Winning the PACAF Maintenance Effectiveness award and contributing to PACAF winning the Creech award has served as a pat on the back for Misawa's maintainers.

"It helps validate all the hard work that was accomplished especially during a trying year," said Sergeant Bayquen. "It also serves to motivate maintainers to sustain the same level of excellence or even exceed it."