Walk around the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, and you’ll see them everywhere; the squat, wheeled carts, with their booms reaching for the stars that their bulbs try so valiantly to emulate. Sometimes they create a raucous, rhythmic hum, while other ones conduct their mission silently. These are the light carts of The Rock.
Much like the power plant mission covered in the first story of this series, the Airmen behind the light cart mission at the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Power Production shop have a critical mission in illuminating the base. This mission is led by 386th ECES Light Cart NCO in charge Staff Sgt. Jordan LeMay, who is deployed from the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Force Base, Ga.
Answering the Challenge
“This is my first deployment, so it has presented its own challenges.” said LeMay. “I've had little to no previous experience with light carts, so I had to jump in feet first with the program and make it my own.”
And jump in he did. Since arriving at The Rock, his team has grown the operational assets inventory from 48 to 57. Several inoperable units were found on base, and others that were long-waiting repairs were put back into service. Of these 57, nine are currently in for repair or being converted to hard-wired units.
Keep’em Going
Typical maintenance on a light cart involves standard mechanical maintenance, only at an increased frequency due to desert conditions. The run time, or engine hours, on the units are monitored and that is what determines the maintenance schedule. Filters, oil and coolant need changing on a regular basis. The challenges for required or periodic maintenance aren’t overly complicated; it’s the non-routine maintenance that forces LeMay to get creative.
“We have to make do with what we have,” said LeMay. “Bulbs break, belts and seals fail, leaks occur, electrical components become ineffective, and engine parts become clogged with dirt and debris. There is a light cart being used at an entry control point that was put together from the parts of other units .”
Maj. Adam Burwinkle, the 386th ECES deputy commander, said that some of these material or supply chain challenges are due to how far away from home they are. The ECES has to find a vendor on this side of the globe for specific parts then make the repairs here, but there’s nothing that they can’t overcome.
Once a cart has been cannibalized beyond the point of salvation, it isn’t just discarded. Any engine-operated light cart that outlives its mechanical life span can then be converted to a hardwired unit. These carts are stripped of any remaining usable parts, and after some adjustments to the electrical system, they can be hard wired, or “tethered” to the base electrical grid.
“I currently have a unit in our work bay that is being stripped of parts in order to convert it to a hardwired unit,” said LeMay. “The unit's engine needs depot-level repair, but its main components can still be used to repair other light carts. This leaves the electrical side, which when supplied power from an external source will still power the lights and allow the unit to complete its primary purpose.”
Supporting the Mission
The light cart shop currently supports 15 missions with 42 units in use. This include carts at entry control points, several helping support sister service and coalition missions, and others being used for various Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force projects, at tent city, plus other remote locations on the installation.
The light carts greatly increase the safety and night operations capabilities in remote areas without access to commercial power. They are used at ECPs to see vehicles on approach, light the watch area and barriers, and other base access points.
The primary purpose of these units may seem simple, not unlike the generator mission of the Power Pro shop. Just like electricity, light is often taken for granted until it is gone.
“Without us, people would be using a lot more flashlights,” said Lemay.