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| Press Release Number: ECP200304101 | 10-Apr-03 |
Depot employees in war zone provide crucial warfighter support |
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| By Gary Rice As coalition forces in Iraq tighten the noose on Saddam Hussein and his regime, it is clear that air power has played a key role in the success of the Operation Iraqi Freedom battle plan. From close air support of the advancing Marines to bringing in food and medical supplies, aircraft are an integral and vital part of the coalition's success. And many dedicated Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point employees are there, working in the war zone in support of the warfighter, helping to keep those planes flying. "We've had as many as 15 of our people at a time in country during the war," Special Programs Coordinator and Scheduler Bill Stanley said. "The requests for people come in through NAVAIR based on what they need over there, and we provide the personnel that are needed. It says a lot about the depot's reputation in the fleet that we are called upon like this in time of war. Our people are experts at fixing our aircraft." NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point provides maintenance, engineering, and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines, and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Employing almost 4,000 people, the depot is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet and rotary wing engines. It is the Navy's center of excellence for rotary wing aircraft, providing engineering and logistics support for all Navy helicopters. Stanley explained that depot artisans, planner and estimators, and engineers are working with forward deployed forces in country to perform depot level maintenance and aircraft battle damage repair (ABDR) on the same types of aircraft that are maintained at the depot. As members of the depot's innovative Rapid Response Team (RRT), they are working mainly on rotary wing aircraft, but have also performed repair work on C-130s and AV-8B Harriers. "Our intent is to have a force in readiness with depot-level expertise able to respond to the fleet within 24 to 48 hours," Logistics, Research, and Engineering Coordinator Maj Todd Caruso said. "If the fleet calls and says an aircraft is broken, they've done everything they can do at their operational level, and they need one of our artisans right now to fix it, we are ready to respond to that request." The RRT program was initiated at the depot about eight months ago. It reflects Commanding Officer Col Eugene Conti's vision to have a pool of depot-level artisans and specialists on hand to meet the needs of forward-deployed units. Not only must they be the right people to accomplish the maintenance mission, but they must be medically, physically, and administratively qualified to be there as well. To be assigned to the RRT program, employees must meet certain requirements. Before they can be sent to the war zone, they are given all the required training, inoculations, medical evaluations, and security briefings. Among other things, they receive an international drivers permit, the proper passports, and a Geneva Convention card. Upon completing the program, which takes about two or three weeks, they are qualified as Emergency Essential (EE) personnel. "This program ensures that our people are fully qualified and ready to go in all respects," Caruso said. "It mitigates risk by identifying any special needs or requirements a person might have before deploying. It ensures that we get the right person to do the job in a minimum amount of time." The Production Department maintains a list of EE qualified personnel. There are about 80 artisans, 15 planners and estimators, and 30 engineers in the volunteer pool. Although volunteering does not guarantee that a person will deploy overseas, there is a great demand for qualified maintainers. EE personnel usually deploy for 90 days, and if they choose not to extend, they are brought back, and a replacement is sent. EE personnel who are sent on deployment go through NAVAIR's repair activities in Naples, Italy, or Okinawa, Japan. From there, they are sent to Bahrain, Kuwait, an aircraft carrier at sea, or wherever they are needed. Although he does not know their exact locations, Stanley says several artisans are moving with the forward deployed forces in Iraq, because that is where the planes they are servicing are located. "Our people are called upon to do all sorts of work over there, including fixing bullet holes in rotor blades," he said. "In assessing the extent of ABDR, our planner and estimators determine the extent of the damage, what needs to be done to fix it, what tooling and parts are needed, what artisans are required for the job, how long it will take to fix it, and how much it will cost. Then the artisans take over and get the job done. That's what we do here at the depot every day, and our people are good at it. We knew they would shine over there, and they have." That sentiment was echoed in an e-mail Stanley received recently from Navy Senior Chief Vincent Hess, the assistant production officer at the Naval Air Mediterranean Repair Activity (NAMRA) in Naples. "All of our customers both afloat and throughout the area are in total awe of the professionalism, skill, and expertise that your people have shown," Hess wrote. "You and their families can be justifiably proud of them for their tireless and selfless devotion to duty. They are what America and Americans are all about." "We've heard very high praise from the repair activities because our people are getting the job done over there," Caruso said. "They show up fully qualified and ready to complete their assigned missions. It's very important for us to have this program, because when the fleet calls, we need to be able to respond." NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. Photo: NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point Planner and Estimator Mike Day indicates a bullet hole in a helicopter rotor blade at a forward deployed location in the war zone. (Official U.S. Navy Photo) |
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