FOD, the elusive enemy of aircraft

by Airman 1st Class Kaleb Snay
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/6/2013 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan  -- Airmen from the 35th Fighter Wing worked together to search maintenance areas, runways and taxiways to locate and remove debris that could potentially cause damage to aircraft here May 6.

The main purpose of conducting a Foreign Object Damage walk is to help prevent damage to aircraft, increase awareness and education of how critical the FOD program is and maintain combat capability and stray from expensive repair bills.

"FOD can cost the Air Force millions of dollars," said Master Sgt. Nathan Welchert, 35th Fighter Wing FOD Monitor. "To help avoid damage to aircraft, all Airmen who work on or around aircraft are taught from the very beginning of their career to be on the lookout for FOD."

FOD is classified as any object ranging from bolts and screws to rocks, paper, plastic and plants, Welchert added.

FOD is a hazard for any aircraft and other precision equipment. Suction caused by the air intake of jet engines can pull objects into the aircraft intake, damaging the engine.

"Education is the number one effort in reducing FOD," said Welchert. "The more people that don't allow anything that has a potential to cause damage to our weapons systems, the better. It truly is every Airman's responsibility to prevent FOD, even those that don't directly work on or around the airfield."

Other defenses against FOD are metal detectors, vacuum machines and a sweeper machine constructed from multiple rows of brushes and scoops, known as the FOD Boss. Even with these defenses standing guard, Airmen are the first line of defense against all FOD.