Mildenhall flight ops begin on ground

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher L. Ingersoll
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Long hours, dirty hands and more work to do, but it has to be done. That sums up 100th Maintenance Group Aircraft Ground Equipment's day-to-day life. Without functional ground equipment, planes can't be maintained, and if planes can't be maintained, they don't fly missions.

And, planes that don't fly missions make for a pretty ineffective Air Force.

"We provide reliable ground-support equipment to enable aircraft maintenance and inspections as well as lighting and heat for security forces perimeter security," Senior Master Sgt. Raymond Moss, 100th MXS AGE flight chief, stated in an e-mail.

With a mere 73 people, the AGE flight supports several units operating at RAF Mildenhall.

"We support U.S. Air Forces in Europe's KC-135 fleet, Special Operations Command in Europe's MC-130 fleet, Air Combat Command's forward-positioned RC-135s and Air Mobility Command's transient flow through and the National Airborne Operations Center when it operates in Europe or Africa," said Sergeant Moss.

Not just anyone can walk into the AGE flight hanger and start fixing equipment. AGE technicians attend a six-month rigorous training course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, working on various types of ground equipment.

"AGE is a well-rounded maintenance field," said Tech. Sgt. Eric Smith, major repairs section. "An AGE craftsman must have knowledge in maintaining many different types of systems including electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, diesel engines, gas turbine engines and more."
But even with so much technology already in place, Sergeant Moss said he sees even more advances being made within the next five years.

"AGE research and development has steadily increased the complexity of our systems, from a single membrane that filters nitrogen from ambient air for aircraft servicing, to generator controls that rely solely on integrated circuitry," he said. "As each new airframe hits the Air Force inventory, a new set of AGE also arrives to support it."

Even with newly emerging technology, austere conditions in deployed locations can create challenges.

"Deployed locations can be very different," said Sergeant Smith. "Often AGE drivers may be trained on equipment for home-base aircraft. Deploying means working with new equipment which means new training."

He said that deployment impacts the home station as well.

"Often our personnel will deploy but leave most of the equipment behind. That means fewer personnel to maintain the same amount of equipment."

Despite the challenges, AGE flight Airmen continue to provide support, keeping aircraft flying missions. And that's a good thing, because aircraft that can't fly missions make for a pretty ineffective Air Force.