Team returns after 'doctoring' C-5 in Iraq

The team, from the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron here, deployed to Baghdad Jan. 10 and replaced the C-5's engine and engine pylon, readying it for a one-time flight out of the war-torn city. It took ground fire on takeoff Jan. 8.

"You get a little anxious when it's time to really put on your flak jacket. You're like, 'wow this is the real deal,'" said Tech. Sgt. Kris Showalter, aircraft structural maintenance technician, as he recounted the assault landing into Baghdad International Airport where his team deployed to repair the battle damaged C-5.

Fresh from the fray, he and five other CLSS members explained what it's like for aircraft battle damage repair technicians to deploy thousands of miles from home into uncertainty.

"The 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron's mission is to take care of problems you hope never happen; but when they do, it's the most rewarding job I can think of," said Tech. Sgt. Jeff Krimer, structural maintenance technician.

Despite the rewards, Sergeant Showalter said the reality of their recent deployment hit home as the crew was being briefed just one hour before entering Iraqi airspace.

"The aircraft commander briefed us on what was going to take place and told us to prepare for a pretty aggressive ride into Baghdad with the possibility of small arms fire coming up at us," he said.

Capt. Mark Ford, chief of logistics operations, said the aggressive ride meant an assault landing, which pushed the C-130 to its limits.

"Everything happened so fast, that reality didn't set in for me until we were standing on the aircraft ramp in Baghdad," he said.

By that time it was too late to worry, he said, and the team's training kicked in.

"We trained on engine pylons and it turns out that was the biggest part of what we worked on - pylons and flaps," he said.

The pylon holds the engine on and the flaps are part of the aircraft's wing.

Though danger was always a real possibility, Tech. Sgt. David Calbillo, structural maintenance technician, said the team focused on the work at hand.

"The compound where we stayed had had regular attacks in the past," Sergeant Calbillo said. "That was one of the eye-opening and troubling things we dealt with, but everything went smoothly."

Although trained to deal with every possible situation when it comes to ABDR, Sergeant Krimer said doing their job on an actual aircraft was a new experience for him.

"Until this point we had only worked on parts of aircraft, we never actually worked on battle damaged aircraft," he said. "To actually see what battle damage looks like was really different."

That wasn't the only different thing the team encountered. According to Captain Ford, the team's only day of rest came during a rain storm where they discovered a new kind of mud.

"I had never seen anything like it in my life," said the captain. "It was like concrete" before it hardened.

Looking at everything that went in to getting the team deployed in 48 hours and the work done in about 10 days, Master Sgt. John Hanna, team chief, said the entire mission was a success, supported from Air Mobility Command headquarters all the way down.

While the team itself gets much of the glory, Sergeant Showalter said kudos goes out to everyone here who helped make the mission flow without incident.

"Our support flight, supply and center maintenance workers were amazing," he said. "They worked extra time to get our gear ready and make sure we had all of the things we needed. The pylon and engine shop prepped parts in 12 hours so we could take those with us."

He said the team took everything they thought they needed based on photos of the damage.

And in addition to the professional accomplishment, Master Sgt. Dave Young, assistant team chief, said the deployment had personal rewards.

"It's a big sense of accomplishment and self satisfaction to go over and take something that's been hit by ground fire and put it back in the air," he said.

"Everything went extremely well, like clockwork," agreed Captain Ford. "I can't think of a thing we could have done that would have brought the aircraft out of there any faster."

The aircraft is currently undergoing engineer evaluations on the wing, and parts which received Band-Aids are getting permanent repairs. The team will continue working on the aircraft to get it back to its owning unit.