Maintenance management: keeping the mission in motion

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. – The steady rhythmic clicking of keyboards and computer mice fill the room as maintenance managers work around the clock. Under the fluorescent lights of their office, the team works tirelessly to sustain the global operational capabilities of America’s strategic bomber fleet.

Upholding the mission of the 2nd Bomb Wing, maintenance managers leverage their data analysis expertise to ensure the readiness of a spectrum of aircraft and equipment.

“Every day, I run a report that displays which maintenance tasks need to be completed for our B-52H Stratofortress aircraft,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alyssa McDougal, 702nd Maintenance Squadron time compliance inspection monitor. “It’s my responsibility to ensure we have the necessary aircraft parts for our maintainers to complete their tasks before the deadline.”

Paying close attention to detail, McDougal verifies that each maintenance task is completed according to schedule. Ensuring safe, efficient and compliant maintenance is crucial to keeping Barksdale’s bomber fleet in optimal condition to execute the mission.

In addition, maintenance managers oversee maintenance personnel’s adherence to time compliance technical orders. Time compliance technical orders are used by maintainers to perform one-time inspections, modifications, or to impose temporary restrictions on aircraft and other equipment.

“Once we receive the new TCTO from the Technical Order Distribution Office, we begin to disseminate it amongst our units,” said Staff Sgt. William McCutcheon, 702 MXS TCTO monitor. “Specific inspections must be completed within a certain timeframe, whether that be 30, 60 or 180 days. It’s my role as the TCTO monitor to convey that information when distributing the new TCTO.”

Though maintenance managers work closely with maintainers, they’re often confined to their office, unable to see the fruits of their labor on the tarmac.

“I like to tell people in my shop, if they ever get the chance, to go out to the flight line with the maintainers; it's much easier to see how what you're typing in a spreadsheet contributes to the mission,” said McCutcheon. “It's truly eye-opening and allows you to see that what you’re doing is making a difference and matters.”

In a job where its impact isn’t always clearly seen, taking a step back to see how their work contributes to the mission brings everything full circle.

“Not only did I have the privilege to go on a deployment last year, but while I was deployed, I built a good rapport with all the production superintendents and crew chiefs,” said McCutcheon. “They took me out to the flight line, where I saw munitions being loaded onto the jet, and I was given the chance to taxi a jet into a parking spot. Knowing what I do contributes to the mission brings me purpose.”

Sustaining aircraft and a spectrum of equipment readiness, maintenance managers ensure that our nation's bomber fleet remains ready to provide lethal, long-range strike capabilities anytime, anywhere.