8 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 08, 2019

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Cardinal Health 200 LLC, Waukegan, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $2,250,000,000 modification (P00023) exercising the first 30-month option period of a 30-month base contract (SPE2DV-17-D-0001) with three 30-month option periods for worldwide ordering and distribution of consumable, commercial, brand name and generic medical surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, with a June 6, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Owens and Minor Distribution Inc., Mechanicsville, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $1,125,000,000 modification (P00018) exercising the first 30-month option period of a 30-month base contract (SPE2DV-17-D-0002) with three 30-month option periods for worldwide ordering and distribution of consumable, commercial, brand name and generic medical surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, with a June 6, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has been awarded a maximum $24,942,879, firm-fixed-price contract for receiver transmitters. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year, two-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Rhode Island, with a Jan. 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-F-LY00).

Mayfield Dairy Farms LLC, Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $19,057,500 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for milk and dairy products. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a 36-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Georgia, with a Nov. 19, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D V350).

Peck and Hale LLC, W. Sayville, New York, has been awarded a maximum $13,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production of spare parts in support of the MK-2551 A/U grounding kit. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Nov. 6, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-20-D-0009).

NAVY

Ameresco Select Inc., Framingham, Massachusetts, is awarded firm-fixed-price task order (N3943020F9904) at $170,993,668, under a multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, energy savings performance contract at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for the construction, operations, and maintenance of energy conservations to improve energy efficiency and reliability, which includes compressed air upgrades, motor and pump replacements, micro-grid for energy security, power plant improvements and steam traps. Work will be performed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed in 23 years and four months by January 2044. No funds will be obligated with this award, as private financing obtained by the contractor will be used for the 28-month construction/implementation phase of the project. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity for the task order. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden, Colorado, is the contracting activity for the basic contract (DE-AM36-09GO29029).

J.F. Taylor Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $109,433,818 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for development of simulation systems and software to support training activities as well as acquisition development and lifecycle support for the Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test Department, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division 5.4.3, Simulation Division. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Maryland (75%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (25%), and is expected to be completed in November 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured, as a small business set-aside, via an electronic request for proposal; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0008).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $68,189,550 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price order (N0001920F0315) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0002). This order provides non-recurring and recurring engineering associated with the development, qualification test, integration, airworthiness substantiation, flight test demonstration and validation/verification of the government of Japan unique configuration into MV-22B Block C aircraft and the MV-22 Containerized Flight Training Device. This effort also includes logistics and training efforts, to include post-delivery reach-back support, aircraft preservation and de-preservation, storage, aircraft transit support as well as the remaining unique kits and installs in support of the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (50.8%); Fort Worth, Texas (27.2%); Hyogo, Japan (6.9%); Chantilly, Virginia (6.7%); Huntsville, Alabama (2.2%); Olathe, Kansas (0.8%); Red Oak, Texas (0.7%); Bangalore, Indiana (0.6%); various locations within the continental U.S. (3%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Foreign Military Sales funds for $68,189,550 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

KBR Diego Garcia LLC, Houston, Texas, is awarded a $60,635,283 modification for the exercise of the option two under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $178,629,215. The work to be performed provides for general management and administration services; command and staff (information technology services, information technology support and management, telephone services, telecommunication services, antenna maintenance); public safety (fire protection and emergency services); air operations (ground electronics, airfield facilities, and passenger terminal and cargo handling); port operations; supply (supply services and petroleum, oil and lubricant management and operations, and ship's store service activities); morale, welfare and recreation support; galley; bachelor quarters; facilities support (facility management, facility investment sustainment, restoration and modernization, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance, and pavement clearance); utilities (electrical, compressed gases, wastewater, steam, hot water and demineralized water, and potable water); base support vehicles and equipment; and environmental to provide integrated base operating services. Work will be performed in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy and Air Force); and fiscal 2020 non-appropriated funds in the amount of $42,168,950 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period, of which $42,168,950 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Far East, Yokosuka, Japan, is the contracting activity (N62742-17-D-3600).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $13,968,568 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-18-C-5300 to exercise options for AN/SLQ-32(V)6 design agent engineering services and travel. This option exercise is for engineering services and travel for the AN/SLQ-32(V)6 design agent contract under the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP). SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program. AN/SLQ-32(V)6 upgrades the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system by incorporating SEWIP Block 1B3 and SEWIP Block 2 systems. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding for $3,017,000 will be obligated at time of award, and $617,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $7,706,240 firm, fixed-price contract (N3220520C4004) for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of the USNS Yukon (T-AO 202). The $7,706,240 consists of the amounts listed in the following areas: Category “A” work item cost, additional government requirement, other direct costs, and the general and administrative costs. Work will include furnish general services, shipboard access and security, clean and gas free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, tank deck overhead preservation, window regasketing and repair, aft mooring station overhead preservation, deck preservation, tie down replacement, pump room bilge preservation, miscellaneous steel replacement, tank preservation, house preservation, bridge, 06 level, radio air handler overhaul, accommodation vent system cleaning, highling cargo winch and motor, and winch refurbishment. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $8,825,852. Funds will be obligated Nov. 7, 2019. Contract completion will be Feb. 24, 2020. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to begin Jan. 6, 2020. Contract funds for $7,706,240 excluding options, are obligated for fiscal 20 using (Navy) working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and two offers were received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220520C4004).

Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $7,590,539 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-5315 to procure provisioned item spares for the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) program and radar suite controller low-rate initial production. This modification will provide provisioned item spares for combat systems engineering development site power equipment and development back-end processing equipment group to support AMDR and radar suite controller low-rate initial production. Work will be performed in Cerritos, California (91%); and Marlborough, Massachusetts (9%), and is expected to be completed by June 2020. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $7,590,539 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Weeks Marine Inc., Covington, Louisiana, was awarded a $151,305,750 firm-fixed-price contract for Savannah Harbor expansion project, maintenance and dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Savannah, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 1, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil construction, operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $151,305,750 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-20-C-5001).

CDO Technologies Inc.,* Dayton, Ohio (W52P1J-20-D-0001); and Lowry Holding Company Inc.,* (W52P1J-20-D-0002) will compete for each order of the $48,100,712 firm-fixed-price contract for Automatic Identification Technology data communications, hardware, software, documentation, incidental services, technical engineering services, training and warranty. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $13,800,336 firm-fixed-price contract for Tybee Island shore protection project. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Savannah, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 16, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2020 river and harbor contributed; and civil construction funds in the amount of $13,800,336 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-20-C-5002).

AIR FORCE

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $22,482,383 contract for Laser Small Diameter Bomb all up rounds and warhead shipping containers. This contract provides 522 all up rounds and 131 warhead shipping containers for use by U.S. Special Operations Detachment 1. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 8, 2021. This award is the result of a sole source delivery order. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $21,533,816; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $948,567 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8656-19-F-1005).

*Small Business

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2011830/source/GovDelivery/

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  • Coping with COVID: The RCAF adjusts to the new world

    14 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Coping with COVID: The RCAF adjusts to the new world

    “We were at the highest level of readiness that we would have been at since the Korean War.” If that seems a perplexing statement from the commander of an Air Force that at one point during the current pandemic had about 70 per cent of its members working from home, LGen Al Meinzinger has a sound explanation. Though Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) headquarters sometimes resembled ghost towns, training schools were paused, operational training units (OTUs) were scaled back to critical force generation activity, and flight operations were at times curtailed, over 83 per cent of personnel were on short notice to activate. “I referred to it tongue and cheek as the team being readied in a martial arts crouch,” he said. “Nobody was away on course, nobody was out of country on temporary duty. Almost 100 per cent of our team was conducting operations, supporting operations or at home ... on a very high alert level to respond as directed.” When the coronavirus flared in communities across Canada in mid-March, the RCAF quickly adopted a posture intended to preserve the force. The health and safety of members and their families became the top priority. At the direction of the Chief of the Defence Staff and military and civilian health authorities, training courses for Reserve cadets, new recruits, technician trades and professional upgrades were halted and over a thousand students returned to barracks or home. Travel for leave was limited. Operational flights were re-routed to avoid COVID hot spots where possible. The operational tempo dipped but did not stop. Transport squadrons continued to support operations in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and elsewhere; fighter squadrons and 22 Wing North Bay, Ont., the Canadian Air Defence Sector, maintained the NORAD mission; and search and rescue units responded around the clock to calls across the country. 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., even became a quarantine site in the early days of the pandemic for Canadian passengers lifted from a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, docked in Japan. But at Wings and in aircraft, new health and safety measures were introduced to mitigate the risk of infection and transmission. Students were sequestered. Access to workspaces was restricted and traffic flow through some buildings was altered to limit contact. Meetings migrated to Zoom and other video technology. Aircrews conducted virtual handovers. On transport planes, new protocols for mask wearing and passenger screening became the norm. “We have remained focused on the health of our people throughout,” said Meinzinger. “It was impressive how swiftly the team was able to introduce a raft of new protocols.” The payoff has been evident in the number of COVID-19 cases in the RCAF. At no point have they exceeded single digits, he noted. At the time of the interview in early July, no member was sidelined due to the virus. While personnel health was critical, the quick reaction to preserve Air Force capacity was a necessary precaution for what the RCAF suspected could be a busy period ahead. Following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) had developed a contingency plan known as Operation Laser to counter a future pandemic. Accordingly, among the CAF's first responses to COVID-19 was the stand-up of six regional task forces to respond to provincial requests for assistance, each with an air detachment of either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft to provide transport and other services. At the same time, the RCAF was bracing for the urgent calls for air assets under Operation Lentus, the CAF response to natural disasters. Spring flooding and summer forest fires have threatened Canadian communities with increasing frequency in recent years, and assistance with surveillance or evacuation appeared to be in the cards once again. “At the outset, we were looking at dealing with COVID-19 responses and potentially having to support the government with Op Lentus tasks,” said Meinzinger. Since training for Air Combat Systems Officers and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators was on pause at 402 Squadron in Winnipeg, the RCAF even put the CT-142 Dash-8 “Gonzo” and its aircrews on standby to provide additional airlift. Resuming, at a distance The Air Force is now in the process of working through a business resumption plan that calls for a “controlled, conditions-based” return of activities. In truth, the plan is more about increasing the tempo at Wings, squadrons and headquarters. Mindful of the damage to readiness if core activity ground to a halt, operational squadrons continued to fly and OTUs maintained some flight and technician training for graduates earmarked for possible deployment. Now, it's a matter of ramping up while adapting to the unknowns of the pandemic. Already, about 50 per cent of personnel at 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD) and 2 Canadian Air Division are back in their offices and workspaces. “Readiness is everything from your level of flying currency, the recency of that flying, to your knowledge, so we wanted to make sure that we didn't see our readiness shift,” said Meinzinger. “But we are being very diligent in how we are ramping up.” His conditions include the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially face masks, the ability to operate safely, and the ability to move personnel about the country while still meeting the guidelines of provincial health authorities. Already, some courses have resumed, albeit in modified classrooms, and training programs have adapted to shortened weeks in which different cohorts rotate every three days to “reduce the footprint” of both students and instructors. One of the consequences of COVID-19 could be a willingness to embrace distance working. As part of a multi-year retention strategy, the RCAF has been evaluating the merits of working remotely to limit the number of moves a member makes and better accommodate family situations where both spouses serve in the CAF and a move is not conducive for one. Before the pandemic, for example, the RCAF Aerospace Warfare Centre at 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., known as the RAWC, was “leveraging brains rather than bodies” by allowing team members to work remotely from locations such as Comox, B.C., and Gagetown, N.B. “We were already seeing that that model was very effective,” said Meinzinger. “Not only was it delivering operational output ... but more importantly, it was creating better balance in personal lives.” As RCAF headquarters moves to the Carling Campus in Ottawa, he's tasked his deputy commander, MGen Blaise Frawley, to “look at what a Headquarters 2.0 structure looks like, including how many [staff] could work from home for a majority of their work day.” “It's an adaptation and it obviously recognizes the need for a healthy workplace. We may see more shift work happening in the HQ, similar to the three-day model,” he explained. “There is a new reality with COVID-19 and that will probably reshape some of our thinking.” That reality will likely renew discussion around distance learning and the expanded role of simulation and other technologies in training programs. In an ideal world, the RCAF would have a distance learning package for every course “that students could immediately access in a pandemic,” he said. The Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at 16 Wing Borden, Ont., is already well down that road with the use of virtual reality (VR) and other tools in the training curriculum of various trades. And CH-148 Cyclone crews are learning hoist mission training on a Bluedrop Training & Simulation VR system at 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S. More recently in June, the RCAF Command Team course for anointed Commanding Officers and unit Chief Warrant Officers was delivered at distance using “modern tools,” he said. “This pandemic has underscored the value of having a greater amount of simulation [and remote learning] within the enterprise.” Return engagement for pilots? As with any crisis, the pandemic response has highlighted capability gaps and opportunities. Assessing the full impact of COVID-19 remains a work in progress – “we're still drawing deductions,” said Meinzinger – but it has confirmed the agility of the Air Force to alter course on the fly. In the first months, units stepped up to develop and deliver PPE for the CAF, including the Aerospace Telecommunications and Engineering Support Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, which re-rolled to produce medical-grade face shields for Health Services personnel. And when a gap in keeping infected patients isolated from the aircrew was identified, the Directorate of Aerospace Requirements spearheaded the rapid procurement of aeromedical bio containment containers to allow a medical practitioner to care for multiple infected patients in the back of a CC-177 Globemaster or CC-130J Hercules. “That procurement was pivotal and we'll reap the benefit of that work in the coming months” when it is delivered, said Meinzinger. “These systems will complement the superb work related to on-aircraft PPE tactics, techniques, and procedures that have been developed by the 1 CAD team to ensure the safety of our aircrew.” The pandemic might also help with the battle all western air forces have been waging for the past several years, as the commercial airline boom attracted both pilots and maintenance technicians. With civil aviation now in a tailspin and many pilots furloughed or laid off, the RCAF could see the return of former members. The CAF has been working to re-enrol recently retired members for the past few years, hoping to attract experience back to either the Regular or Reserve Force. After the effect of the pandemic on the aerospace sector became apparent, the RCAF launched a campaign on social media to “rejoin the team” and increased the capacity in its Intake and Liaison Team to help interested former members make the transition. To date, about 200 have expressed an interest and 100 are considered serious prospects, spanning a range of Regular and Reserve Force officer and non-commissioned member trades. In the past four months, about 55 have completed applications. Meinzinger expects that to increase. Following the upheaval to civil aviation after 9/11, the Air Force saw a similar trend line. “It takes a bit of time for individuals to contemplate their future,” he said. “There is a family decision [involved] ... but we anticipate in the coming months there will be [greater interest] from those individuals who are affected.” Though the emphasis is on recent military experience, “we'll take any calls,” he added, noting that the ambition of the government's defence policy means “we are going to need a bigger RCAF team.” Trying to predict the trajectory of the pandemic over the next months is almost impossible, but it's a question “I think about each and every day,” Meinzinger acknowledged. He has been drawing on a “fraternity” of air chiefs from allied countries to gather lessons and help shape the RCAF response. The only certainty is “to remain very agile” and adapt to what Gen David Goldfein, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, has called the new non-normal. “The cadence and the rhythm of the pandemic is going to clearly shape the way that we move forward,” said Meinzinger. “We want to be as best prepared as we can be.” https://www.skiesmag.com/features/coping-with-covid-rcaf-adjust-new-world/

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  • Maintainers Maintain Mission Readiness

    15 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial

    Maintainers Maintain Mission Readiness

    By Airman 1st Class Adriana Barrientos Fighter jets and heavies can rule the skies, but they need to get there first. It takes strict attention to detail from aircraft maintainers to service aircraft in order to launch them to the battlefield. Airmen from the 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron identified and fixed a misplaced spoiler control rod on the E-3 Sentry during a Home Station Check at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, June 3, 2019. Aircraft maintainers play a huge role when it comes to mission readiness. After all, they are responsible for the upkeep of aircraft that fly through the skies. It's imperative for these Airmen to be meticulous, confident and disciplined in order to carry out their mission— inspect aircraft and troubleshoot problems. The 703rd AMXS supports JBER's worldwide contingency and maintenance operations for the 3rd Wing, 11th Air Force, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. They are responsible for the C-17 Globemaster III, E-3 Sentry, and C-130 Hercules. Crew chiefs assigned to the 703rd AMXS are assigned to either the 962nd or the 517th Aircraft Maintenance Units. One type of aircraft maintained by the 962nd AMU is the E-3 Sentry. As an airborne warning and control system or AWACS aircraft, it performs an essential mission, distinguishing between friendly and enemy activity. It also provides airborne command and control in addition to conducting all-altitude, all-weather surveillance. “I come to work and figure out what the flying and maintenance schedule is for the day,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. John Hays, 962nd AMU crew chief lead for two E-3B/C aircraft. “On a typical day, we launch one of the jets for a four to six-hour sortie and recover the jet towards the end of the shift. Once the jet lands, the other crew chiefs and I will perform a post-flight inspection and fix anything we find.” As a crew chief, Hays performs visual inspections of the entire structure of the aircraft. These include calendar inspections, which serve to provide constant observation of all components of the aircraft to ensure reliability. It was June 3rd when an issue with the jet's spoiler rod was identified during an in-depth calendar inspection, known as a Home Station Checks. “Calendar inspections vary, but a really important one is the Home Station Check that is completed every 180 days,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Solomons, 962nd AMU crew chief. “One of the biggest things we look for during these inspections is irregular rubbing of moving components. During our mid-shift, Senior Airman Eric Goodholm noticed one of the rods was pushed up against another component in the wing called the flap track gearbox.” In this case, it was the spoiler control rod, which was not damaged but could have potentially caused a major problem during the flight. “A spoiler control rod basically helps lift the spoiler— a vital flight control surface that allows the jet to turn in flight, as well as a brake or slow down the jet during approach and landing,” said Solomon. “The pushrod is not supposed to rub on the gearbox, so myself and our production superintendent performed further investigations,” said Hays. “I identified that the two outboard spoilers follow up pushrods were connected incorrectly to the idler arm, therefore causing the pushrod to rub on the gearbox.” The total time to fix the issue was a combined eight hours, to include an operation check. “I led the fix of the malfunction along with Staff Sgt. Solomons,” said Hays. “We disconnected and reconnected the pushrods to the idler arm correctly, which provided the proper clearance from the gearbox.” These kinds of calendar inspections allow maintainers to identify defects before malfunctions cause serious danger or harm to the aircraft or personnel. In any case, a setback with the aircraft is a setback to the mission. “After ensuring the rod wasn't damaged, we got in touch with Tinker Air Force Base, and they found the same problem on three of their jets,” said Solomons. “This discovery drove a Time Change Technical Order, implemented to prevent flight binding across the fleet.” Time Change Technical Orders, or periodic updates to aircraft that authorize the modification of a system, were pushed to keep the operational tempo on track. As an air defense system, E-3s can detect, identify and track airborne enemy forces far from the boundaries of the United States or NATO countries. It can direct fighter-interceptor aircraft to these enemy targets. Thus being a vital component to the mission in day to day operations. “Something like this could have been easily overlooked, but Senior Airman Goodholm is very thorough and paid great attention to detail,” said Solomons. After the team made modifications and the pushrods were properly connected, a rig check was performed to verify if the spoilers were in the proper configuration. “I can say Senior Airman Goodholm, Staff Sgt. Hays and I contributed by identifying and planning a course of action to fix this issue, but it was an effort as an AMU that fixed the discrepancy,” said Solomons. “With the unit's team effort and strong leadership the problem was identified, fixed and the jet was able to go and perform the mission again.” General maintenance actions and inspections by not only the 703rd AMXS, but all maintainers require attention to detail day in and day out. The lives of the crew and mission success depend on it. https://www.jber.jb.mil/News/News-Articles/Article/1933112/maintainers-maintain-mission-readiness/source/GovD/

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