Leadership from AMCOM's Aviation Field Maintenance Directorate and Field Support Directorate traveled to Fort Bragg, N.C., in late June to meet with the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade command team and conduct a post-Reset After Action Review.
The 82nd CAB commander, Col. Erik Gilbert, was complimentary of the overall quality and customer support shown his aircraft and personnel during AMCOM's Reset Aviation Maintenance Program, which involves providing restorative maintenance to aircraft following deployments to theater. Gilbert said he would rate their CAB's experience through the Reset process as an "A".
Initially, Gilbert and the 82nd's brigade aviation maintenance officer, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Scott Bonner, were not sure that AFMD could meet the Reset production schedule that was agreed upon, but everything worked out quite well because of the commitment to the mission shown by AFMD and the extremely good communication between AFMD and the 82nd CAB.
As the 82nd CAB prepared to redeploy from Afghanistan back to home station in late 2015, AFMD established firm lines of communication between the 82nd's G-4 and AFMD's planning arm. The 82nd's training and mission requirements made it challenging to provide AFMD with a constant and proportional number of aircraft for Reset induction. At the same time, AFMD leadership wanted to make sure that Reset requirements from other CABs would not overwhelm their Reset production site at Fort Bragg. Additionally, allowances had to be made for Apaches and Chinooks as these helicopters are not Reset at Fort Bragg.
It took a few iterations of planning to establish the when and where, and the dispersal strategy of the 82-nd's 55-plus aircraft that were bound for Reset. Communication and a willingness to work together by AFMD planners and Bonner put a plan in place that met the 82nd's schedule, and was agreeable to both the 82nd command team and AFMD leadership. With agreements in place, all involved realized that meeting this plan would take serious effort on everyone's part to be successful.
As the Fort Bragg-stationed aircraft started arriving at various Reset production locations around the U.S., AFMD site managers fielded various issues that the unit had as they dropped off their aircraft, making them and Bonner more comfortable with the process and ensuring trust.
AFMD has been conducting Reset for more than 10 years. Its leadership and employees are confident that they could produce aircraft against the Reset schedule that had been set. Day in and day out, AFMD maintenance and management personnel stayed focused and committed to providing fresh, fully mission capable aircraft with all Mission Equipment Packages and Modification Work Orders requested by the project managers, while fulfilling any outstanding Aviation Maintenance Action Message and Aviation Safety Messages on the aircraft. When Reset was complete, the aircraft were certified to carry out whatever mission they are destined to perform.
AFMD is well-known for carrying out the Army's aircraft Reset mission, but far more happens under this management umbrella. AFMD is a contract maintenance, service and government oversight provider that delivers variable incremental support for any Army Aviation entity. AFMD is also responsible for select Foreign Military Sales support maintenance contracts for aircraft that were sold to allies. Other responsibilities include Unit Pass Back Support, Port Operations for strategic movement of Army aircraft, product management support for modification work orders, Airframe Inspection Maintenance and Sustainment, In-theater contract maintenance, government property management and oversight. Recently, AFMD was contacted by the Naval Air Systems Command and asked to provide Reset contract maintenance for more than 140 CH-53 Super/Sea Stallions, which is now being conducted at east and west coast locations.
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