Vehicle maintenance keeps Airmen rolling

Published May 19, 2011
By Tech. Sgt. Emily F. Alley
451st AEW public affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Near the busy single-runway of Kandahar Airfield, an unpaved parking lot was packed with vehicles May 19.

The vehicle management flight of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing is responsible for several hundred vehicles at KAF that range from armored multi-purpose all terrain vehicles to cargo loading forklifts.

"Our equipment is much busier than at home station," said Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Moody, 451st AEW vehicle management flight chief, as he compared the wear of vehicles at in Kandahar to those where he was stationed, Aviano Air Base, Italy. "I've seen more engine changes here in four months than I've seen in the past eight years of my career."

One of the responsibilities of the flight is to maintain cargo loaders, which drive constantly across the airfield, sometimes in extreme heat. The machines load supplies, such as water, ammunition and even units of blood, onto aircraft that can then be delivered all over Afghanistan, said Tech. Sgt. Jason Mall, noncommissioned officer in charge of material handling equipment.

"If you're moving cargo through Kandahar, at one point our vehicle touched it," said Moody. "If you're catching a military flight, our vehicles helped make it happen."

In addition to making sure cargo is loaded, the flight also manages the 451st fleet of office vehicles. A common problem is when vehicle users refuel with the wrong type of gasoline - assume it's diesel, for example. If a truck is driven with the wrong type of fuel, an entire engine may have to be replaced, said Moody.

While the flight does routine maintenance and inspections, they have also successfully handled much larger tasks. A large bus, similar to a school bus, was brought to their maintenance tent with a severely damaged front end. Apart from the front, the bus still worked well. Airman First Class Joshua Gevedon, a maintainer who happened to have a background in automotive body work, was able to cut away an intact front from a second, similar, bus that was much older and no longer functioning. He welded the replacement front to the newer bus and salvaged a functioning vehicle.

"It's a pretty big job, not something usually done in the desert," said Gevedon. "We reconstructed the face when normally you'd have to get rid of the bus."

The now functioning bus, like most vehicles that travel through the shop, can now keep people and supplies traveling.