379th EMXG, 8th EAMS, 379th ELRS hit MMSAV out of the park

Published Nov. 23, 2012
By Senior Airman Joel Mease
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A Multi-Major Command Staff Assistance Visit recently completed more than 1,800 evaluations of the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron and the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron in an effort to assess and improve expeditionary logistics units.

The MMSAV team was more than impressed with the enthusiasm and quality of work Airmen assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and 8th EAMS during their visit.

"Evaluators were met head on by enthusiastic and mission-motivated Airmenready to showcase their abilities and programs," said Lt. Col. Brian Silter, MMSAV team chief. "Bottom line, MMSAV evaluators put the wing through a very rigorous evaluation and scrutinized every facet of their logistics enterprise. Although there were three minor findings, one major finding and one observation, the 379th AEW clearly hit a 'Grand Slam' and delivered the best MMSAV performance seen to date and is clearly the benchmark for compliant mission delivery in the (U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility)."

The MMSAV team conducted 1373 inspections in the 379th EMXG using the Logistics Compliance Assessment Program scoring and evaluation methodology. While the MMSAV is not a graded event, the 379th EMXG earned an "Outstanding" or a 96.3-percent pass rate which is the highest CAF score earned since the inception of the LCAP grading system in 2009. The MMSAV team chief highlighted the 379 EMXG as the new gold standard for safety and compliance.

Additionally, the 379th ELRS team was specifically mentioned for having the top logistics program in the AOR seen by the evaluators.

"The (379th ELRS team) was clearly an AFCENT best seen-to-date logistics operation, as indicated from their evaluation data and impressive performance throughout the week," Silter said. "Strong, proactive leadership was evident throughout the unit as demonstrated by exceptional performance and high morale with every Airman our evaluators encountered."

379th ELRS programs were noted for their aggressiveness and efficiency by the MMSAV team.

"We have earned the nickname regulators during this deployment by maintaining good supply discipline," said Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Williams, 379th ELRS maintenance support liaison. "Our motto is 'parts just in time, not parts just in case,' as we control the tracking of all aircraft parts coming into the 379th AEW. They really liked our aggressiveness in being able to find parts across the AOR. When we're looking for parts, we are on it like bloodhounds."

The MMSAV team was also impressed with the nearly flawless programs of the 379th EMXG, and their daily vigilance to maintain a strong safety program.

"(379th EMXG) technicians displayed a strong work ethic steeped in maintenance discipline and eagerly showcased how they contribute to the 379th's diverse mission," Silter said. "The turnaround of safety observations from ten in the previous MMSAV downto only a single observation on this evaluation highlights an extremely sound safety culture that is the foundation for compliant maintenance across the board and professional delivery of the (air tasking order) as the daily norm."

The 100 percent pass rate for over-the-shoulder personnel evaluations in the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was specifically mentioned by the MMSAV team for maintenance management and sortie generation.

"We did a pretty good job simplifying our process," said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Sotak, 379th EAMXS aerospace propulsion craftsman. "They found no markups for our program, which is very rare to have."

For some in the 379 EMXG, the MMSAV was important for building on to the future of the 379th AEW.

"I learned a lot about the other functions in the maintenance group (during the run up to the MMSAV) as part of the focus team," said Senior Master Sgt. Dan Potter, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron aircraft ground equipment assistant flight chief. "I know this really set our team up for success, and I know for a fact our group is better off as a result."

As one of the largest strategic airlift hubs in the AOR, the Airmen in the 8th EAMS have stringent requirements to keep the airlift operation a success. The MMSAV team noted those requirements are being met with near perfect results.

"The processes and relationships established by the aerial port team have created an impressive velocity-based atmosphere, which accelerates cargo movement throughout the AOR," Silter said. "This is apparent by the high aircraft utilization rate and low port hold times for aircraft and cargo transiting this location. This mobility squadron is a benchmark for air mobility operations and provides the backbone of strategic airlift through the largest gateway in the CENTCOM AOR."

This inspection was especially important to the 8th EAMS, after starting the rotation with the attitude of not accepting what had been the status quo in the squadron.

"I know it sounds weird, but I really wanted this inspection to happen," said Master Sgt. Eric Smathers, 8th EAMS Aerial Port supervisor. "When (this team) got here they looked around and chose to fix things and make the process better. Before the inspection I knew we were awesome, and I knew these Airmen thought they were awesome - this inspection validated those thoughts."

The following Airmen and sections were noted as outstanding performers by the MMSAV team:

379th EMXG
Tech. Sgt. Eric Amorin

379th EAMXS
C-130 Support Section
Tech. Sgt. Andrew Sotak

379th EMXS
Airman 1st Class Devin McKeever
Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Mosser
Avionics Flight
Senior Airman Scott Perry
Staff Sgt. James McMullen
Staff Sgt. Jeffery Cook
Staff Sgt. Robert Furnier
Tech. Sgt. Thomas Taylor II

379th EMOS
Airman 1st Class Tyler Wiman

379th ELRS
Airman 1st Class Thomas Dennis
Senior Airman Rey Huachambe
Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Williams
Transient Control Center (Senior Airman Tiffany Spradlin, Staff Sgt. Brant Walton, Tech. Sgt. Joann Colon, Master Sgt. Derek Smith, Senior Master Sgt. Pete Smith and 2nd Lt Evan Way)

8th EAMS
Staff Sgt. Robert Higginbotham
Tech. Sgt. Peter Feliciano