100th LRS ready to support increased operations

  • Published
  • By Gina Randall
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Vehicle Management flight currently has 565 vehicles assigned to its fleet, 181 of which are considered priority. The 100th LRS's Vehicle Management flight is responsible for all of these Air Force mission-critical assets with priority one and two vehicles directly supporting flying operations.

"We have 94 different types, or classifications, of assigned general purpose, special purpose, base maintenance, material handling and emergency response vehicles," said Master Sgt. Adam Morrison, 100th LRS Vehicle Fleet manager from Breese, Ill. "We have gas, diesel, one hybrid vehicle and a mixture of U.S.-specification and foreign-buy vehicles."

The vehicle management shop supports many units on base including the 100th Air Refueling Wing, 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, 727th Air Mobility Squadron, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-U.K., Defense Courier Service and the Office of Special Investigations. Morrison's team also supports the 352nd Special Operations Group. As RAF Mildenhall's mission expands, the 100th LRS answers the call for extra support.

"We will continue to apply a proactive vehicle management philosophy to the expanding 352nd SOG mission," said Charles Tague, 100th LRS Fleet manager from Fort Dodge, Iowa. "We have a diverse flight of technicians who bring an extremely versatile skill set to the fight."

Whether it's in support of Air Mobility Command's cargo operations or the ever-changing missions of tenant units, by employing a high-caliber group of NCOs and Airmen, the shop is able to enhance its ability to meet the various mission requirements.

"Our day-to-day operations should not experience a significant change," Tague said. "We will continue to execute a 'quality first' maintenance mindset to every facet of our operation."

The foundation of 100th LRS's operation is successful due to their NCOs and Airmen being in the right place at the right time and doing their assigned tasks as required.

"Second Lt. Kelsey Tarver, Senior Master Sgt. Brian Spalinger, and I have worked extremely hard to implement a leadership style at the flight level that empowers decision making and responsible stewardship from all of our Airmen," Morrison said. "We do not demand results ... we demand the willingness to achieve them."

While there are extra requirements for the new aircraft, currently only one new vehicle type will be added to the RAF Mildenhall Fleet - an MB-4 Aircraft Tow Vehicle. This is very similar to the MB-2 tow tractor currently assigned to the base. The 100th LRS and, in particular, the vehicle management flight training programs are the premier training programs Morrison has seen in his 17 years of experience in vehicle management.

"We are actively engaged with our Technical Training Center in Port Hueneme, Calif., and the USAFE Vehicle Management Schoolhouse at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, in order to fulfill all of our Air Force Specialty Code Training," Morrison said. "We also have several civilian employees assigned."

These civilians provide a wealth of experience to vehicle management's personnel and are the go-to technicians when it's time to dive into new problems.

"Together with our newly assigned leadership and our vehicle control officers, we will continue our pursuit of innovative vehicle maintenance techniques while at the same time continuing to apply the same sound and conventional vehicle repair skills throughout our entire operation in order to ensure the mission happens. Our overall goal is to enhance mission accomplishment," Morrison said.