By Air Force Staff Sgt. Benjamin Gonsier 455th Air
Expeditionary Wing
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2017 — Air Force
Senior Airman Christopher Caruso realized there was a much better way to test
the functionality of a sniper pod and the electrical systems of an F-16
Fighting Falcon, so he pioneered a new way to detect problems and troubleshoot
those systems.
Caruso, a native of Campton, New Hampshire, is an avionics
technician with the maintenance unit attached to the 555th Expeditionary
Fighter Squadron.
"As an avionics technician, I inspect the electrical
and communication systems on the F-16," Caruso said. "This aircraft
is a 'fly by wire,' so it is a digital system sending signals everywhere.
Without the wiring, and the airmen who maintain them, this aircraft would
literally be a sitting hunk of metal."
During his time deployed here, Caruso's two innovations were
a digital video recorder tester and a sniper pod test stand. They may sound
simple, but they're crucial in keeping the close air support mission moving.
"The DVR tester allows me to interface with the
aircraft and bypass the digital video recorder head unit, which records all of
the videos from the multifunction display," he said. "The
multifunction display shows the pilot what is going on with the aircraft. It
will also show radio frequencies, flight displays and other visual aids the
pilot has while flying."
For this to work, Caruso bought a small television. He
connects it to the aircraft, and it gives him a live view of what the pilot
sees on their systems.
Real-Time Analysis
"Bypassing this system, I am able to view everything
and troubleshoot down to a broken wire," Caruso said. "In the past, I
would have to take a cartridge out of the head unit, and bring it over to
another section, which is usually not manned 24/7, to give it an ops check.
With this method, we are able to see real-time if there is an issue with the
wiring or the head unit."
For maintenance, time is an essential commodity, and
troubleshooting a component could ground an aircraft for an extended amount of
time, putting a burden on other aircraft. This time-saving mentality extends to
another innovation Caruso devised that affects the sniper pod.
The sniper pod provides advanced long-range target
detection/identification and continuous stabilized surveillance for all
missions, including close air support of ground forces. It enables aircrews to
detect and identify weapon caches and individuals carrying armaments, all
outside jet-noise ranges.
"The sniper pod test stand allows us to troubleshoot a
pod by performing maintenance on it and perform ops checks without physically
mounting it to the aircraft," Caruso said.
Time-Saving Innovation
"This innovation saves between two to three hours
during sniper pod maintenance," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Wesley
Ruuti, superintendent of 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron F-16
maintenance. "That equates to around six to nine total man-hours, given
pod maintenance is usually performed by two to three personnel."
One of the best benefits in a combat environment is the
ability to do pod maintenance directly on the aircraft without having to
perform time consuming reconfigurations, Ruuti added.
"Crews are now able to simply roll the new pod mounted
stand next to the aircraft to conduct any necessary troubleshooting," he
explained. "If the mission dictates, they would be able to return the
aircraft to combat ready status in less than 20 minutes."
Support from his leaders was monumental in turning an idea
into something tangible for Caruso's innovations to come to fruition.
"We have procedures in place to locally manufacture
equipment and it usually starts with a specific idea in mind," Ruuti said.
"Chris had a vision and knew exactly what he needed. As supervisors, we
simply listened and provided him the necessary guidance to see it through.
"Everyone was bought in to Chris' idea, all the way up
to the Maintenance Group commander," the chief continued. "This
unit's leadership team is not in the mindset of 'It's always been that way.'
They trust in the young minds and ideas of maintainers. That's what helped make
this project so successful."
Team Effort
The metals tech shop was one unit that was pivotal in
turning Caruso's blueprints for the sniper pod stand into an actual working
mechanism.
"Everyone has been so supportive, since they all want
something that can improve the overall performance of our processes and
procedures," Caruso said. "My supervision gave me the confidence and
time to get this done. Everyone from the commanders to my direct supervision
has shown interest, whether it's pushing paper or supplies."
Caruso credits his accomplishments to the whole unit, who
enabled him to put his innovations together. His ideas have enabled the team to
generate aircraft with little delay and deliver combat airpower in Afghanistan.
"Chris is an outstanding airman, driven to help others
and refine processes," Ruuti said. "His efforts improved the unit's
efficiency and ultimately had a profound impact on the entire Air Force --
specifically, the F-16 community."
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