WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Located about 28 miles northwest of Tokyo, Yokota Air Base, Japan, served as the off-site annual tour location for the 445th Maintenance Squadron from April 6-18.
This year’s AT was comprised of 10 sections within MXS: fuels, munitions, aerospace ground equipment, airframe powerplant general, instrument flight control systems, aerospace propulsion, electrical and environmental, sheet metal, metals technology, and command support staff.
A large part of annual tour is to build stronger relationships, not only between installations, but amongst each other, to remain actively involved in all aspects of the 445th Airlift Wing’s mission for rapid global mobility and airlift operations across Air Force Reserve Command.
Many factors come into play when annual tour is off station, requiring proactive thinking and attention to detail.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Keric Johnson, 445th MXS assistant superintendent team chief, there are many steps in the coordination process. First, leadership must approve the training.
Then, they coordinate with the base where they want to conduct training to ensure they can support before sending the request to AFRC and the A4 Logistics Directorate to deconflict schedules.
Additionally, other factors are looked at like the weather and time of year for the training.
Johnson said they also determine the availability of lodging and cost effectiveness for the trip before submitting a movement request to the 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron to travel via military air transport.
“Once all that is coordinated, we have members sign up on a trip list,” Johnson added. “We try to be as fair as possible when picking members. Experience, Air Force Specialty Codes and skill levels are all considered.”
The 445th MXS flightline personnel performed launch and recovery operations on multiple airframe types, assisted with a C-5 Galaxy tire change and nitrogen servicing and completed multiple C-17 Globemaster III pre-and-post-flight inspections, resulting in necessary tire changes.
“Our members showcased the Air Force’s new concept of Mission-Ready Airmen,” Johnson said. “They assisted with maintenance on multiple airframes [C-17, C-5 and the CV-22 Osprey].”
Munitions accomplished 14 task completions toward skill-level upgrade training and identified five potential quality and assurance writeups prior to being corrected in real time. They also performed a line delivery of 50 caliber and mark-25 ammunition for CV-22 with inspections for security forces small arms due to worldwide restrictions on current issued munitions.
The CSS worked with civilian staff to enhance Yokota’s 730th Air Mobility Squadron Military Personnel Data System and salesforce knowledge and learned new processes applicable for deployments and three in-and out-processing methods.
“Even though the work experience is what brings us to new places, the best part is getting to know our own people who we don’t get the chance to spend home,” said Capt. Amy Ray, 445th MXS officer in charge.
Annual tours are an opportunity for MXS Airmen to broaden their skills and experiences within the Air Force and in their career field in a way that can be difficult to obtain during the typical unit training assemblies.
“Not only are there opportunities to see different processes in work that we can apply back home, but we can act as a fresh perspective for the units we visit and share our own best practices,” Ray said.