One-stop shop provides whole AOR with TMDE

Published April 24, 2010
By Senior Airman Spencer Gallien
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A one-stop shop has provided precision test equipment across the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility necessary to accomplishing their mission.

The Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory here is the only deployed group of Airmen in the Air Force providing maintenance and calibration of test, measurement and diagnostic equipment used by Airmen across the AOR, including operations in the Horn of Africa.

During the month of March, the PMEL shop calibrated and returned more than 1,600 pieces of equipment to their original owners.

"We are responsible for 31 bases and more than 16,000 pieces of equipment," said Master Sgt. Dave Cowell, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Flight chief. "On average, when we receive a piece of equipment from downrange, we have it calibrated and ready to go within two days."

"The Air Force average to return TMDE is roughly seven days," he added.

Tech. Sgt. Chad Brown, 379 EMXS PMEL technical manager, attributes their success to the 24-hour coverage their shop provides.

"We work 12-hour days, rotating with a night crew," Sergeant Brown said. "During that 12 hours, we are constantly busy - the pace here is very fast."

The shop also recently passed an Air Force Metrology and Calibration inspection with no process errors.

An AFMETCAL inspection assesses a PMEL team's management system, measurement capability, quality program, facility, environmental control system and proficiency testing. Management functions, pre-assessment data, technical proficiency, production control and material control were also assessed.

All areas must meet established requirements to qualify the PMEL as certified to perform accurate measurements traceable through the Air Force Primary Standards Laboratory to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

"It's incredibly rare to see an inspection from AFMETCAL have no process errors," said Sergeant Cowell. "I've been through 13 inspections in my career and have never seen one with no process errors until now."

"I was also surprised that we were able to do this downrange, with a collection of Airmen from 10 bases coming together in two months and doing such a great job," he added.

The sergeant said the professional group of Airmen and non-commissioned officers responsible for ensuring standardized, accurate, equipment across the AOR are the root of their success.

The laboratory is manned by 20 Airmen, who have helped PMEL turn the largest input and output of equipment in the AOR in about five years, said Sergeant Cowell.

The equipment types PMEL supports are electronic, physical and dimensional, ranging from highly-complicated communication or tactical navigation equipment to ensuring a scale that measures vehicle weight is reading correctly.

To keep the highly-sensitive equipment they work with accurate and in regulation, the technicians must maintain room air temperature at 73 degrees, plus or minus 6 degrees and the relative humidity at 35 percent plus or minus 15 percent.

Being in a relatively warm region of the world, keeping the shop sustainable for the equipment was initially a challenge, said Sergeant Cowell.

Through air-lock buffers and positive air control, they were able to create the environment needed to keep their equipment running, he added.

As the Airmen carry on providing calibration of TMDE, they continue to strive for excellence.

"We won the 379th EMXG Team of the Month award in March and are very proud of the whole group," said Sergeant Cowell. "We've had numerous Airmen recognized for their excellence. However, being recognized as a team is the icing on the cake."