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62nd MXG Airmen keep the jets flying at ODF

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Todd Wivell
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand --  At the end of fiscal year 2014, the 62nd Maintenance Group achieved a first by closing out the year with an overall mission capable rate of 87.1 percent, the highest yearly rate achieved for C-17 Globemaster III operations at McChord Field, Washington.
    
"The mission capability rate is an important metric because it measures the percentage of time that aircraft are maintained in a mission capable condition," said Col. Craig Gaddis, 62nd MXG commander. "This achievement resulted from dedicated efforts of all McChord maintenance personnel and support functions."
     
Not only do maintenance Airmen at the 62nd Airlift Wing dedicate their efforts to the aircraft at home station but they do it abroad as well.
    
Case in point is when 11 Airmen from within the 62nd MXG flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, from Sept. 23, through Oct. 11 in support of the first rotation for Operation DEEP FREEZE.
    
"Our maintenance team did a phenomenal job keeping the jet flying.  Throughout the rotation we constantly met and exceeded mission requirements," said 1st Lt. Jim Evans, 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron maintenance officer in charge and 62nd Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight commander.  "Our team is crucial to the launch, recovery, servicing, inspection, and repair of the C-17 and ensured that the aircraft remained in impeccable condition to meet the unique challenges of the ODF mission."
    
This maintenance team was made up of Airmen in the ranks of senior Airman to first lieutenant and represented seven different Air Force Specialty Codes to include aircraft maintenance unit production, propulsion, crew chief, integrated flight control systems, electro-environmental, communication and navigation and hydraulics.
    
According to Evans, this was a team of that worked very well together and represented the 62nd AW to the best of their abilities.
    
"Having a cohesive maintenance team is essential for all of the work that we do, and the foundation begins with building a strong team at home station," said Evans. "Our highly-trained and competent technicians hold each other to an incredibly high standard for performing quality maintenance. 
    
"When we send our folks all around the world they take that same mentality with them, and in turn they can rely on each other to do great work regardless of the location."
    
"This was a very professional team who got the job done," said Master Sgt. Tom Emmert, 304th EAS loadmaster ramp coordinator and 728th Airlift Squadron loadmaster scheduler.
    
Emmert has been out to Christchurch more than seven times in support ODF and said this was a team that ensured a safe departure and return from Christchurch, New Zealand, to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, each and every mission.
    
"For example, this time they had to conduct a short-notice landing gear tire change and got it done with no delays," said Emmert.
    
Along with the tire change, the maintenance team also troubleshot an engine bleed air discrepancy on engine four of the C-17 while at the same time still conducting the routine launch, recovery, servicing, and inspection functions that were required each and every mission.
    
"More than anything, I think this trip reinforces the quality of work that our technicians perform on a daily basis, regardless of where we are in the world," said Evans. "It also gives our maintainers a chance to see how much their work matters and more of an appreciation of the incredible capabilities of our Air Force."
    
Truly seeing how their work mattered, each of the maintainers got a firsthand account of how crucial their work is and how much it means to mission effectiveness as they headed out to Antarctica on separate missions throughout their stay.
    
"Being able to execute the mission to perfection in such a difficult location speaks to the unmatched quality of the entire ODF team," said Evans.  "It speaks volumes about the great work our maintainers do to keep the jet in such good condition." 
    
Reaching the overall mission capable rate of 87.1 percent at home station was a first for the 62nd MXG and it could only have been done with the group acting as a cohesive team. That teamwork carries over to any location 62nd AW maintainers head out to, to include Antarctica in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE.