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Show AIR FORCE NEWS Hilltop Times February 1 7, 2005 AGE Airmen keep ground mission running 'Our purpose is to supply the aircraft with power and equipment' BY SENIOR AIRMAN COLLEEN WRONEK 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) — The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's aerospace ground equipment flight Airmen are a vital part of the mission here. "If it wasn't for us, specialists and crew chiefs couldn't do their job," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Gosik, the flight's chief. "We provide the aircraft with power and equipment so (the maintainers) can accomplish their mission." The flight's Airmen provide and maintain many types of equipment, including generators for aircraft power, equipment to heat and air-condition the aircraft, maintenance stands, wash carts for foreign object debris, floodlights and munitions handling equipment. "From simple oil checks to complete equipment engine teardown and rebuild, our flight makes sure the equipment works before it gets to the aircraft," said Airman 1st Innovative Airmen re-invent the ladder Digitally altered Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colleen Wronek BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Airman 1st Class Todd Spencer changes the starter on a bomb lift used to raise missiles and bombs being mounted onto an aircraft. Besides flight line operations, he and other 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment Airmen help civil engineers provide power to housing areas here. Class Todd Spencer, a flight apprentice. Besides maintaining the equipment, Airman Spencer delivers it to the aircraft. "I make sure the equipment is there when the aircraft arrives," he said. "At home station, the urgency for AGE delivery isn't as high, but here when I get the call, I have to deliver the equipment right away so the aircraft can stay on schedule and continue its mission." The Airmen monitor the equipment for all aircraft here including the RQ/MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles and F-16 Fighting Falcons. "Any airplane that lands here, we take care of," Sergeant Gosik said. "We maintain a 98 percent mission capable rate in harsh conditions with limited parts, equipment and people." AGE Airmen also help with tasks not normally done at home station. "Because of our knowledge of generators and other equipment, we help civil engineers provide power to the housing areas and heaters for runway repair," Sergeant Gosik said. The Airmen have run into a few difficulties because of the deployed environment. "Some of the challenges are the muddy and dusty conditions, limited shop space with limited tools and constant operations tempo," Sergeant Gosik said. "Despite it all, we get the job clone." Sergeant Gosik and Airman Spencer are deployed from Hill Air Force Base. We remember cockpit," Lieutenant Black said. The Airmen removed a ladELLSWORTH AIR FORCEder at the best possible time and created a solution to use BASE, S.D. (AFPN) — the aircraft while the ladder Airmen here saw a problem and found a way to fix it, was repaired. making the B-1B Lancer a They put together an idea more reliable warfighting for the temporary ladder by machine. drawing a picture and comparing it to standards to make The problem involved the sure it was up to code, said crew entry ladder being Capt. Corey Beaverson, the removed from the aircraft squadron B-1B mechanical for repairs during the refurbishment process. This made engineer. the aircraft "not mission capa- The ladder solution reduced ble" for about seven days. the unit's number of not-misTo improve the process and sion-capable days. eliminate as much down time "Our warfighting capabilas possible, several Airmen ity is based off of not-misof the 28th Maintenance sion-capable time," Lieutenant Squadron came together to Black said. "The more time create a solution. the B-l is mission-capable, The Airmen decided to repair the more reliable the aircraft becomes." the ladder during a scheduled 10-day inspection called "Being able to say the B-l "phase," when the aircraft is is more reliable shows that already not mission capable. our (Airmen) have initiative," "We decided that the repairs said Senior Master Sgt. Paul could be done during the time Stroud, squadron fabrication that the aircraft is already flight chief. "They are able not mission capable, leaving to see an obstacle, put their the (aircraft during the) heads together and over12-day refurbishment process come." to be 'fully mission capable,1" The Airmen continuously said 1st Lt. David Black, 28th strive to make things work MXS maintenance flight com- better, Lieutenant Black said. mander. "The creation of the temHowever, during the phase porary crew entry ladder is inspection, maintainers need a perfect example on how the access to the aircraft cockmaintainers here continupit. ously strive to strengthen "We completely (took) down and refine working condithe ladder to repair it, and tions for a safer and more this caused a problem for efficient way of doing busipeople needing to inspect the ness," he said. BY SENIOR AIRMAN RAELYNNE J.DENNIS 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — From left, Louis, Troy and Sierra Hernandez particpate in a candlelight vigil here Friday for deployed troops. About 200 people paid tribute to American forces deployed in various locations worldwide. The ceremony included songs and prayers for the troops. The Hernandez children's father, Tech. Sgt. Roland Hernandez, is deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is assigned to the 374th Maintenance Squadron. DOD publishes new personnel regulations job-classification standards. Y e'H learn through It will give managers more 6 flexibility in reassigning employWASHINGTON (AFPN) — ? doing, we'll do this in ees to fulfill critical needs and Officials from the Department more flexibility in where employof Defense and the Office of phases, and we will ees will work. Personnel Management will publish the regulations that "We have encouraged our progressively add more and more unions to work constructively will govern how the new National Security Personnel us, and also with the fedemployees (and) learn as we go with System will operate, DOD offieral mediation and conciliacials said Feb. 10. services so we can find until completion at the end of 2008." tions common ground and make The proposed regulations BYJIMGARAMONE American Forces Press Service ^ \J •7 U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Raelynne J. Dennis ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. — Airman 1st Class David Browning climbs the temporary ladder used to inspect the cockpit of the B-1B Lancer. The ladder was designed by Airmen here to make the aircraft more reliable. Airman Browning Is a 28th Maintenance Squadron B-1B, phase inspector. will appear in the Federal Register Monday, and officials invite comment. Navy Secretary Gordon England said once the public comment period ends March 16, the officials will confer with the various federal employee unions and then give all comments "fair and full consideration." Secretary England serves as the DOD senior executive overseeing the system. "Our plan, then, is to begin the implementation this summer," he said. "We'll learn through doing, we'll do this in phases, and we will progressively add more and more employees (and) learn as we go until completion at the end of 2008." The publication marks the end of the first phase of implementing the new personnel system. The system, enacted — Navy Secretary Gordon England this an even better system," Secretary England said. by Congress in 2003, will allow protections, our veterans pref- However, five federal employees' unions announced they DOD officials to better man- erence and employee benewill challenge the system in fits," he said. age civilian personnel, they said. Once in place, DOD offi- The first 60,000 people under court. The unions contend DOD and OPM officials have cials will be able to shift peo- the NSPS are scheduled to ple among jobs, hire faster transfer to the system in July, not adequately consulted with and reward good workers. at their current salaries. Gen- them. Mr. Blair said that with NSPS, "Now NSPS is going to replaceeral-schedule workers will the entire federal government a 50-year-old system," Secre- stop being GS-designated employees and will transfer personnel system has "reached tary England said. "We're to pay bands. It will be a year a tipping point." DOD, the going to replace (the current before the first decisions are Department of Homeland Secusystem) with a very modern rity and a number of other fedsystem that we need to attract, made on performance-based pay raises, officials said. eral agencies' employees will recruit, retain, compensate fairly and manage our employ- Dan Blair, the OPM's acting be covered under new, more responsive personnel rules. ees." director, said the new rules "More federal workers will The system will focus on per- will not change merit-system be covered by reformed and protections, whistle-blower formance, flexibility and modernized systems than the protections, veterans preferaccountability, the secretary current general schedule," ence, benefits, rules against said. he said. "These changes haven't "It will be much more respon- prohibited practices or leave come easily. But this new sysand work schedules. sive to the national security tem (shows) that transforenvironment, and ... it will The system will change the mation can take place." fully preserve our employee general-schedule system and |