Maintenance readiness criticial to F-35 success

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Cuttita
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As the 33rd Maintenance Group grows steadily in population, they are preparing the way for integrated training and maintenance of the Department of Defense's newest joint fighter - the F-35 Lightning II.

"It is the logistics behind the aircraft that makes this jet go," said Col. Laura Sampsel, 33rd MXG commander. "When our team of professional maintainers develops the standard, we'll be able to positively affect policies and practices for all three services and bring logistical power to this country like we've never seen before. Our war fighters here are doing very difficult work right now to prepare for the most powerful weapons system this nation will employ."

Currently there are approximately 110 Airmen, Marines and Sailors assigned to the group. To keep 59 aircraft flying training sorties in the near future, the 33rd MXG is authorized to have approximately 522 personnel from various maintenance specialties.

Many maintainers have already attended F-135 propulsion and Autonomic Logistics Information System familiarization courses. All transition personnel take the course until Jan 2012, when the field training detachment will begin instructing. Detachment 19 will provide the courses for advanced skill levels according to Lt. Col. Michael Miles, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander.

Feedback from the cadre-training here shows the training has been a worthwhile experience, according to Master Sgt. Robert Sauerbrey from the 33rd Maintenance Operations Squadron.

To be the first military personnel within the 33rd FW to maintain the jet means the wing and its integrated members will be in the initial F-35 courses.

"It is unbelievably challenging, exciting and rewarding to be on the tactical level of this cutting edge technology," said Colonel Sampsel. "Our maintainers are the most talented and capable at adapting and succeeding in the stand up of this new system."

The wing, detachments and partnered contractors are working together to discover what they call the "art of what is possible."

"Our industry teammates know their success is our success and our success is their success," said Colonel Miles.

The direction and structure laid out by the this initial group of personnel within the 33rd will impact DoD as a whole to include those operational units that will take the aircraft into battle. Air Education and Training Command and Air Combat Command site activation teams are already visiting the MXG for information, according to Colonel Miles.

"During future combat operations, the tri-services could be based overseas together and be able to generate F-35 sorties in tandem. They will have commonality in maintenance departments and the spare parts to get the job done," said the colonel.

To prepare for what's ahead, 33rd FW teams travel to F-35 test locations at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., where joint classes are held.

"The MXG is integral to each service meeting their IOC. They administer all the critical maintenance operations programs supporting F-35 flight operations" said Colonel Miles. "The MXG will need to be ahead of any potential technical issues, use sound decision making process, and ensure all personnel stay 100 percent locked in to the IOC priorities."

This advanced skills training of the ALIS sets the course for future mission success of generating safe, reliable, and effective JSF sorties to support the training syllabi for all branches of the U.S. military.

"They definitely walk out of here with solid knowledge about the F-35 as a system," Colonel Miles said regarding the student's education. "We are doing any and all things possible to get folks familiar with the differences between this jet and legacy aircraft they've worked on in the past."

These experts in the field have been meeting as small integrated teams with contractor support to run demonstration/validation exercises. For example, the 33rd AMXS will table top several key processes like sortie generation, material handling, joint technical data verification and cannibalization, how to move aircraft parts off one jet to another. Within the JSF program there are unique challenges such as aircraft delivery schedules, contractor parts supply and service specific requirements.

"With the three F-35 variants being approximately 65 percent common, we may be able to increase our efficiency by utilizing maintainers across the 33rd FW fleet," said Colonel Miles. "One of our priorities is to work out how to accomplish this and satisfy service requirements when working across the variants. Our biggest efficiencies will be gained in the 33rd MXS maintenance shops of wheel and tire, egress, non-destructive inspection, structural maintenance, fuels, and aerospace ground equipment/support equipment."

Wing leadership is confident that the Department of Defense can gain better business practices by capitalizing on the work the 33rd FW has done to find similar service processes and develop integrated ways to perform common military tasks.

"We've been given the opportunity to define the paradigm here and create something really great," said Colonel Sampsel. "Logistically, it's bigger than anything most of us have ever seen. We have a responsibility to set this program up for success for our nation, international partners and especially for those who'll maintain and fly this new weapons system."