Kandahar vehicle maintenance Airmen support base, beyond

Published Sept. 30, 2011
By Senior Airman David Carbajal
451th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Maintenance on a vehicle can present a fair number of challenges even under ideal conditions. Despite the dust and hot temperatures at Kandahar Airfield, members of the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance strive to keep the Air Force assets running.

In August, the vehicle maintainers opened more than 300 work orders and completed nearly 2,300 actions on these vehicles.

"The work here never stops, but these guys keep the base moving," said Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Julian, 451st ELRS vehicle maintenance superintendant.

The vehicle maintenance team performs routine maintenance such as changing the vehicle's air filter to major repairs like engine replacements.

Most of the vehicles the shop works on aren't your typical cars.

"We can work on just about anything," said Staff Sgt. Erica Norgren, 451st ELRS vehicle maintenance technician. The unit routinely works on Humvees, buses, cargo loaders, and forklifts.

"To a mechanic, an engine is an engine. It doesn't matter if it has four wheels or 10," said Norgren, who is deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., and a Springfield, Mo., native.

Some tasks don't come without difficulties.

"Some items are hard to come by here," said Norgren. "Things like tires or transmissions have to be shipped from stateside locations, which can take time."

Vehicle maintenance's materiel control section is responsible for researching and verifying part numbers and expediting deliveries to KAF.

"Parts availability is a key component to maintaining the vehicle fleet and keeping the assets in the hands of the users," said Julian, who is deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and a Wabash, Ind., native.

Currently, the vehicle maintenance team is made up of approximately 40 Airmen but recently added contractors to double their number of mechanics. These technicians work around the clock to support the mission requirements.

The technicians don't just upkeep assets at KAF.

"We are also support five FOBs (forward-operating bases)," said Julian.

The nearby forward-operating bases Bastion, Shindand, Herat, Farah, Tirin Kot, are also supported by the vehicle maintenance team. The unit will send a two-person mechanic team to Herat, Farah and Tirin Kot to accomplish routine and unscheduled maintenance requirements.

"We also support Bastion and Shindand by administratively managing their fleets," said Julian. "We track and schedule their maintenance, maintain records, and ensure that they have the vehicles and equipment required to fulfill their missions."

In an attempt to streamline operations, the shop now performs more aggressive inspections to catch potential problems before they become maintenance issues, said Julian.

"This means that vehicles and equipment sometimes have to stay in the shop longer than the customer expects or would like," said Julian. "But preventive maintenance is key to keeping the vehicles in service."