OCR Text |
Show HILLTOP TIMES 6 timEs Sept. 22, 2011 VERA/VSIP before you see an annuity check. Plan accordingly. Currently, OPM has a backlog of approximately 9 months for finalizing retirements. Once your retirement is finalized you will receive your full annuity payment plus any backpay that is owed. For more informa- From page 1 il 'i111 4 .1i 1 1 I ¥ ' -1 11{rIIr4Y1 .1 1113. 1iI .111111i II ---__,,.--. . 1 .+1 , 1 __""" ¥ 1.1.-... -"1 111 7 -11 1M0' ii " I o. " 4L TERRY PITTMAN/U.S. Air Force Tommy Rollins watches as the A-10 Wing Station 110 Milling Tool works its way across an airplane wing. The tool, which Rollins invented, is now in use in the 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (Technical Repair) at Hill Air Force Base. 309th Maintenance Wing employee invents portable mill, saves thousands BY BILL ORNDORFF 309th Maintenance Wing A portable milling tool, designed by a 309th Maintenance Wing employee, is helping extend the life and safety of A-10 wings, and at the same time is saving the Air Force thousands of dollars. Tommy Rollins, a machinist with the 577th Commodities Reclamation Squadron, 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, worked for about three years to perfect what is now called the A-10 Wing Station 110 Milling Tool. He recently brought the third version of the tool to the A-10 Wing Shop, 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (Technical Repair) for use at Hill. The portable tool, powered by electricity and an air compressor, bolts onto the aircraft wing and mills the surface back to the .002 tolerance required by technical orders. The milling tool is designed and approved for use on the A-10, but could be adapted for other aircraft. The milling ensures the wing parts fit tightly together, which in turn prevents cracks and extends the life of the aircraft. "The fittings, where the outer wing and center wing connect, after 25 years are stressed because of all that flying," Rollins said. "The fittings can lose their flatness, and if they don't maintain that flatness when they put the fittings back together, and there's a gap, it will cause the fittings to crack. The main goal is to keep the fittings as the drawings specify, so they won't cause the fittings to crack and possibly bring a plane down." Patrick Slaugh, a machinist with the 574th, was able to learn how to use the new milling tool without much difficulty. "I think it's a pretty impressive piece of equipment for what it does and how we hook it up," Slaugh said. "It's a very precise piece of equipment for the spans that we're actually cutting and how we're required to do it. It saves us time and money, gets the product back here faster and makes everybody happy. It's a selfsustaining piece of machinery." After Rollins built the original tool and went through the process to make it an official Air Force tool, the machine was taken to Belgium for use in an A-10 contract repair facility. A second, improved tool was built for use at AMARG, and was credited with saving the group $100,000 in time and repair costs during 2010. Before the tool was invented, the milling process was performed by a contractor and took about two weeks. Now, the work can be done in two days and never leave the shop floor; additionally, many outer wings that were previously condemned are now being made usable again, saving the Air Force $350,000 on each wing. "It saves me seven days worth of time," said Ron Bell, 574th first line supervisor. "It keeps us busy, it keeps us working, and we'll make schedule easier now. When we sent the wing out, we had to make an appointment to get it machined. The contractor was good about making an appointment for us, but if they had a job they were working on, we had to wait. And we had to get the bids from three different companies — it's quite a process. Rollins attributes his technical expertise to his 10 years with the Air Force as a machinist, and his previous jobs with Boeing, McDonnellDouglas, Evergreen, Rockwell and Lockheed as a sheet metal technician, as well as computer design. The tool and other creations have earned him four Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) awards. Rollins has returned to his machinist job at AMARG, but continues to think about improvements. "I'm so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to use my ingenuity and skills to help solve the problems that have been giving me," he said. "Hopefully my future holds some more of these situations where I will be called upon to be involved in being part of what's so important to all of us — supporting our troops and our country." The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will be processing your retirement paperwork. Upon receipt of your retirement package, OPM will review your files to verify your retirement eligibility and estimate your annuity amount. They will authorize recurring interim annuity payments to provide you with income until the processing of your retirement is finalized. Interim payments represent a portion of your final benefit, generally 60 to 80 percent, but can be less if you owe a redeposit for refunded service or you have service for which you have not paid a deposit. Normally, employees may expect to see their interim annuity check 6-8 weeks after the effective date of their retirement. This will likely take longer due to backlog and the increased volume of applications from the Air Force-wide VERA/ VSIP. This means you may go several months tion visit www.OPM. gov , or call BEST at 1-800-525-0102. * SWAP MEET ALL YEAR ROUND * S. 1050 W. MOTOR VU 5368 RIVERDALE DRIVE-IN & SWAP MEET 394-1768 SATURDAY & SUNDAY 8 AM 1 PM - BUYERS FREE ON SAE! Visit Our Indoor Shops! A Great Place for Those Hard to Find Bargains! SELLERS VISIT US AT www.motorvu.com or call 394-1768 * SWAP SHOPS AVAILABLE FOR RENT* CENTER FO GROWTH & POTENTIAL Licensed Clinical Psychologist PREFERRED TRICARE PROVIDER Legend Hills Building 1725 East 1450 South, Suite 105, Clearfield, Utah 84015 Office Phone: 801-773-0535 http://www.centerforgrowthandpotential.com eernsig ner Zesigner Consignors Always Welcome Zer/t ef- 440939 E. Hwy. 193 #A 94Cea-er4qarA, Owner/Sales 41=7 - 4 ;it ( Layton, Utah 84404 . • eonsegneMeslgner 801-771-7119 C # 801-540-8 446 Come see why Farmington Crossing was voted Community of the Year by the Utah Home Builders Association ILLJr r IMER11111111111$1111m 111 ll 11 moil 1 ARMINGTON Free Granite Countertops TOWNHOMES FROM $144,900 HOMES FROM $192,900 Decorated model homes are now open Monday-Friday 11-7, Saturday 11-6. MLS 11:5113 LENDER Farmington Crossing is a luxurious, maintenance-free community located at 1158 North Shepard Creek Parkway, Farmington, Utah 84025 - just off Shepard Lane, east %/PP EFFORT Michael Gill (left), Ogden Air Logistics Center executive director, and Troy Tingey, president of AFGE Local 1594, congratulate Rhonda Janroy, 75th Medical Group, on her work and commitment to the Voluntary Protection Program. of the I-15 freeway. Buyers can choose from many unique home and townhome plans. Amenities include a spacious clubhouse and swimming pool, hot tub, and fully equipped gym. There are children's play areas, jogging & biking trails, and a brand new splash pad. Michael 801-599-7805 Greg 801-884-8888 garbettHOMES•COM Now you're Living. WE CATER YOUR MILIARY EVENTS SATURDAY nu e me offer 1246 S. Legend Hills Dr., Clearfield South of Tai Pan on 1500 East DEAN OLNEY/U.S. Air Force doolieswings.com 801,815:6707 Military Proud • Military Owned OPEN SUNDAYS JOIN US FOR SUNDAY FOOTBALL BRUNCH 50C WINGS WEDNESDAY |