445th MXS, AMXS support C-5s 'en route'

  • Published
  • By Capt. Caroline Wellman
  • 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  More than 30 Airmen from the 445th Maintenance and Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons here recently spent 15 days in Spain supporting contingency operations.

The Airmen, who were supporting the 725th Maintenance Squadron, helped ensure the Air Force's C-5 Galaxy fleet got to and from the area of responsibility by providing en route support at Rota Naval Air Station.

In the past, the 445th Airlift Wing provided en route support all over the world for the C-141 Starlifter, said Senior Master Sgt. Brian Robinette, the propulsion flight chief in the 445 MXS who was also one of the lead superintendents on the trip to Rota NAS.

"We took people from a lot of different [Air Force Specialty Codes], including electricians, engine, supply, aerospace ground equipment and maintenance operations center troops and crew chiefs," said Maj. Suzanne Johnson, commander of the 445th MXS.

For the wing's Airmen, the temporary duty assignment to Rota NAS allowed them to see what they train for during every unit training assembly. They put it in practice in support of contingency operations, Sergeant Robinette said.

For Airmen from the 725th MXS, the support from the 445th AW afforded them the chance to take leave and catch up on training and maintenance requirements, things the operations tempo at Rota NAS prevents them from doing, Major Johnson said.

The wing's support also allowed the 725th MXS Airmen time to grieve the loss of one of its Airman's children and made it easier for that Airman's family to return to the United States to handle the personal loss.

This year, much of the manpower the maintenance Airmen provided was in support of an intermodal operation, which basically involved swapping out a helicopter unit in theater with new helicopters that arrived at Rota NAS via ship before being loaded onto C-5 Galaxy aircraft for transport, she said.

The 445th Maintenance Group agreed to provide the en route support back in April during a "bid" at the en route conference held annually at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

"With these en route supports, the plans and programs office at the group level go to a conference where bases 'buy' the en route operations," Major Johnson said. "So plans and programs bought the en route support then they brought back the requirements and we filled the package."

Master Sgt. Jeff Conley, 445th Maintenance Operations Flight, programs and resources non-commissioned officer in charge, attended the conference and said the airframe and AFSCs requirements needed vary base-to-base. For example, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, may only have a need for support from C-17 Globemaster III units whereas Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, may take any available airframe.

"All cargo units are invited to the conference. We get together with the other C-5 units and discuss the support schedule, keeping in mind the number of requests we can physically support. We also look at if we want to support any requests as a solo unit or if we want to support with another unit. The units "bid" on what they would like to support if they meet the requirements," Sergeant Conley said.

All funding requirements for the program are provided by Air Mobility Command.


(Stacy Vaughn contributed to this story.)