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Brains lead the brawn from the MOC

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Christian Michael
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  One aircraft maintenance squadron, five airframes, and six aircraft maintenance units all vie for resources and time at the largest flight operation in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, and it takes just one room full of trained professionals to keep those operations running on time and target.

The 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group Maintenance Operations Center manages all maintenance operations for units assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, ranging from scheduling maintenance, preventing loss of coverage by staggering non-maintenance activities, and upchanneling important information to appropriate leadership to make informed operational decisions. Most importantly, the MOC operates as the single brain keeping all maintenance operations flowing.

"It is easier to collect data and have a centrally located operations center, that way you don't have six different aircraft maintenance units calling for fuel and lavatory services all at once," said Master Sgt. Matthew Kornprobst, MOC superintendent. "MOC can set priorities according to what the missions dictate. If the maintenance group commander needs information about a broke aircraft, he would come to the MOC to get the information instead of contacting each individual AMU production superintendent."

In an average month, the MOC records and tracks more than 200 changes to the printed flying schedule, inputs and validates more than one thousand aircraft status changes in four different aircraft maintenance information systems, processes 40 aircraft cannibalization actions, and an average of 100 unscheduled maintenance actions monthly. It also maintains more than 50 emergency action checklists and coordinates emergencies directly with the maintenance group commander.

"If maintenance data was not collected centrally, it would take longer for the information to get to the appropriate decision making authority that could affect the air tasking order and ultimately maintenance operations on the ground," Kornprobst said.

Centrally collecting data and knowing how to manage it require professionals from all walks of maintenance life.

"To be in MOC, you have to have a common knowledge of all flight line agencies, back shop agencies, and computer programs we use to keep track of day to day operations," said Tech. Sgt. Arthur Trimble, a trained RC-135 and E-8 MOC controller and former aerospace ground equipment technician. "MOC controllers have to think quickly to determine who, what, when, where and why to channel information to EMXG leadership."

While deployed, Trimble floats among all MOC stations to enable staggered weekly rest for the small office and a backup in times of need.

"Each day of the week I work one out of five different aircraft mission design series, and on the weekend I fill in for the senior controller," said Trimble, who is currently on his sixth deployment, fourth here. "The best part of rotating each day is that I am not complacent with the same day-to-day events as if I were working on one particular aircraft every day."

Working the MOC isn't its own career field, but instead serves as an additional duty that can broaden the skills and professional development of its staff.

"MOC is considered a duty out of my career field," said Kornprobst, a former fighter crew chief now on his seventh deployment. "I have enjoyed my time in MOC because you get to see a different aspect of the mission - and what we do impacts and affects the mission - instead of just turning wrenches and refueling aircraft."

Trimble agreed with Kornprobst, adding that he felt he could go home proud of his impact on the mission.

"In maintenance many times we have only one view as to what our job is, the perspective from working in the MOC is you get to see and work with Airmen from other bases working in all different types of jobs to achieve one common goal," Trimble said. "When I go home I want to know that I did my part to help support and defend my country as well as our constitution."