March 29, 2012.--Critical aircraft are returning to the fight days ahead of schedule thanks to some of the finest painters in Army Aviation.

Corpus Christi Army Depot's Airframe Paint Shop may be cutting cost and time, but they're not cutting corners to ensure a quality helicopter.

A look at their latest work is a testament to their new way of doing business. In one case, the paint shop completed and sold a UH-60 Black Hawk two days ahead of their estimated completion date in March. Days later, they finished another UH-60 five days early with no quality defects.

The faster turnaround time is making the depot Commander, Colonel Christopher B. Carlile, reconsider the amount of time needed to get the job done.

"It looks like you will be able to adjust your route time on paint if you keep this up," remarked the commander. "There has to be savings there as well."

Donivan Babcock, Division Chief of the Cleaning and Coating Division isn't keeping many secrets about this rapid turnaround.

"I'm privileged to have five shops beneath me," he said. "I've got a great leadership team and employees that make my job easy."

Teamwork has a lot to do with the success. Babcock listed a number of shops that help get the aircraft out the door including test control, airframes cleaning and paint, production control, tech support and quality control.

The shops work around the clock, utilizing all three shifts to cut down their time to only 25% of the usual route time.

Though this naturally translates to identifiable cost savings with the reduction in man hours, the division goes a step further by cutting down on product cost and waste.

CCAD paint artisans undergo state-of-the art training through the Star4D program, available at the depot. STAR4D stands for Spray Technique Analysis and Research for Defense. This training enhances the quality of workmanship, cutting down on rework, hazardous waste and used materials while ensuring customer satisfaction, a safer work environment and cost savings to the taxpayer.

The technology and training allows students to gain practice while remaining environmentally friendly by not wasting paint, solvent and personal protective equipment.

"There is also a unique focus on paint thickness and paint adhesion on the aircraft that we paint and it's critical to get the right amount of paint on because it reduces the weight and protects the aircraft from corrosion," said James Dussliere, Painter Supervisor and CCAD STAR4D Trainer.

The process uses fewer coats of paint resulting in a lighter helicopter by as much as 20 pounds. This weight reduction translates into more fuel or cargo space, improving mission and life-saving capability.

Plus, the time the division saves through their new methods of work means the soldier gets their aircraft that much faster.

"They're the cream of the crop as far as I'm concerned of any paint facility I've worked at," said Babcock of his employees. "They're the last ones to touch the aircraft before it goes to Flight Test so the quality of their craftsmanship and the quality they produce sets the tone for what CCAD is known for--a quality product for the Warfighter."