by Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
8/5/2015 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- At
times, the B-52 Stratofortress gets weary from long missions, and it is
up to a team of specialists to replenish the skin and bones of the
aircraft.
The 2nd Maintenance Squadron Fabrication Flight consists of three units:
structural maintenance or "sheet metal", nondestructive inspection and
metals technology.
These sections are critical to maintaining and fabricating aircraft parts in order to keep the B-52 in flight.
In addition to the combination of three units, the 2nd MXS integrates
reservists from the 707th MXS as a part of the Total Force Integration
program.
"We work together as a flight in the sense that everything we do ties
together," said Senior Airman Dylan Fox, 707th MXS aircraft structural
maintenance journeyman. "We aren't side -to-side all the time but we are
always working hand-in-hand toward one goal."
Sheet metal focuses on the maintenance and appearance of the B-52's outer skin.
"Our motto in sheet metal is 'beat it to fit, paint it to match,'" said
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Reynolds, assistant sheet metal NCO in-charge. "We
complete various jobs to keep the jets in the air and corrosion free."
Once Aircraft Maintenance Squadron conducts an inspection of the B-52,
sheet metal repairs any defects that are reported. They restore and
repair the wings, panels, hinges, apply paint and decals, and identify
and treat corrosion.
"One of our biggest goals is to keep corrosion to a minimum," said Fox. "We are really aggressive towards corrosion prevention."
"The B-52s have been back and forth over saltwater environments,"
Reynolds explains. "With the jets being in an environment like that, it
can be harsh on them."
It is vital for these Airmen to pay attention to detail in every aspect of job whether big or small.
"Doing a five minute job can prevent foreign object damage," said
Reynolds. "A loose rivet could get sucked up into the engine and there
goes millions of dollars."
Fixing cracks or replacing rivets may seem simple, but the B-52 can't fly without a repair from sheet metal.
"Crack repairs are considered a red x: no fly condition," said Fox. "For
me to fix it and say it's up to standards, allows the B-52 to complete
its mission."
Sheet metal never stops; they ensure the B-52s are ready for the mission
24/7. Fox takes pride in being a part of the bigger picture.
"I get to fix a piece, ensuring a jet defending our country stays in the air," he said. "This makes my job really rewarding."
Editor's note: This is part one of a three-part series on the mission of the 2nd Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight.
by April McDonald
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
7/31/2015 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The numbers alone speak for themselves.
Using the Art of the Possible and a modular flow process, the 551st
Commodities Maintenance Squadron's B-52 Wrap Cowls shop has reduced its
production time from 155 days to around 22 days. That's a difference of
133 days and a savings of more than $1 million during the last four
years.
David Deal, 551st CMMXS B-52 Wrap Cowls shop supervisor, said the shop's
old cradle-to-grave process was slow and not clearly defined. It's not
that way with modular flow, which breaks the process down into six
different segments, or modules. Each module has a designated number of
hours for the mechanics to do their jobs before sending the part to the
next station.
"Every time it moves, a new one takes its place," Deal said. "It's a complete cycle all the way through."
A cowl is the metal covering around an aircraft engine, similar to a
hood on a car. The shop produces a cowl every one-and-a-half days. That
translates into about 322 a year.
"This year, we've done so well that they've had to back our numbers down because we've outpaced our customers," Deal said.
Under the cradle-to-grave approach, each mechanic had to be good at the
entire process. With modular flow, the mechanics become very proficient
with a small section of each part of the process, Deal said.
He said workers are a big part of the shop's success, as they are the driving force behind many of the changes.
"The whole process is designed around the workers being involved," Deal
said. "Basically, it involves the employees at the very bottom level."
Leadership included employees in meetings where they discussed the process and brainstormed ideas to save time and money.
"Absolutely, these folks are the engines behind all this," Deal said.
"They do it every day. There will be times they bring things in to me
and we'll make a change if it makes sense."
Darrel Anderson, 551st CMMXS director, said the B-52 Wrap Cowls shop is definitely a success story.
"This shop is a good example of where the AFSC Way has caught hold," he
said. "From bringing those ideas forward, advocating for change and
constantly looking for improvements, this team understands their
process, can quickly identify constraints and uses process improvement
to eliminate those constraints. They are excellent problem solvers."
Anderson said about four years ago the shop had back orders through the roof.
"We were really struggling," he said. "Now we're cranking them out,
smooth as silk. It was a matter of designing the shop with optimum
throughput in mind, engaging our enterprise partners and training and
enabling our people to be part of the solution."
by Airman 1st Class Rachel Loftis
99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
7/23/2015 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- As
the sun blazes through the cloudless sky, a suffocating heat touches
down on the Nellis Air Force Base flightline. A B-52H Stratofortress
from the 69th Bomb Squadron sits, awaiting pre-flight checks for its
upcoming Red Flag mission.
Red Flag provides realistic air combat missions in a training
environment which ensures participating air and ground crews are better
prepared for future real-world operations.
The 69th BS is one of many units taking advantage of the training Red Flag 15-3 offers.
"We got back from Guam last year and Red Flag was the next big thing on
the docket, so we started focusing on that as early as possible," said
Capt. Britt, 69th BS aircraft commander. "We wanted to focus on and show
the (Combat Air Forces) what we could do so that when we got here our
entire unit was on the same sheet of music, could perform as well as we
could, and didn't' look like the slow ponies when we showed up."
The 69th BS brought four B-52 aircraft and approximately 180 Airmen to participate in Red Flag 15-3.
"We started talking about Red Flag about six month ago," Britt said.
"However, I would say our real training program started three months
ago, and we rolled through daily sorties. We started simulating what we
expected to have here at Red Flag and carried that through so there
weren't any big surprises when we got here."
The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of
missions such as strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction,
offensive counter-air and maritime operations.
"I don't think it's an unfair analogy to say that Red Flag is like the
Super Bowl if you will," said 1st Lt. Joseph. "You plan for it,
everybody else is getting ready for it in all separate places throughout
the country and then all of a sudden, we all come together and
integrate."
"We have this 'Seminole' moment where we are all learning together as a
group. You're rubbing shoulders literally in the same building with all
these people you've heard about throughout the year and you've trained
to be able to integrate with, and now all of a sudden you're there and
doing the mission," he added.
In addition to bringing the B-52 to Red Flag, the 69th BS has had the
chance to gain valuable knowledge and training experience through the
combat exercises presented at Red Flag.
"I would say at the unit level there is no better training than this in
the world," Britt said. "It's definitely one of those things where there
are people that have been to Red Flag and there's people that haven't
and you're level of training, your level of expertise and skill
increases significantly while you're here. Having all these assets and
all the opportunities here at the same time, you simply can't beat it.
It's the biggest bang for your buck."
Editor's note: Last names have been withheld due to operational security constraints.
7/13/2015 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- A
B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force
Base, N.D., embarked July 9 on a 16-hour, non-stop mission to Colombia.
During the mission to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of
responsibility, which was closely coordinated with the Colombian
Ministry of National Defense, the aircraft conducted a flyover
demonstration at the Feria Aeronautica Internacional Rionegro (F-AIR)
Colombia 2015 International Air Show.
"USSTRATCOM aircraft regularly conduct training with and in support of
the Geographic Combatant Commands, our Allies and regional partners
around the world," said Adm. Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Strategic Command
commander. "The aircraft's participation in this airshow and the
training conducted alongside our Colombian partners allow our strategic
aircrews to maintain a high state of readiness and crew proficiency."
According to Gen. John F. Kelly, USSOUTHCOM commander, the flight also
demonstrates the U.S. commitment to regional security and the
recognition of Colombia as a key regional partner.
"Our support to Colombia is based on more than just a shared history; it
is based on Colombia's enduring importance to our national security.
Training missions such as these ensure effective cooperation between our
countries," said Kelly.
This is not the first time a B-52 has flown to or conducted partnered
training in the Central American, South American or Caribbean regions. A
B-52 participated in USSOUTHCOM's annual Exercise PANAMAX in August
2014. The U.S. also participated at the F-AIR Colombia International Air
Show twice in the past decade, with participation of a B-52 in 2006 and
a B-1B Lancer in 2008.
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