SOUTHWEST ASIA -- When a transient C-130 Hercules delivers cargo and personnel here through the theater hub, there is a chance it can require maintenance before flying again. This is where the 746th Aircraft Maintenance Unit s teps up to troubleshoot and fix it so it can return home.
"We support and repair transient C-130s passing through the area of responsibility. And when one of our planes breaks down range, another AMU supports us. That is just the C-130 community taking care of each other," said Senior Master Sgt. Andrew Musial, 746th AMU lead production superintendent, deployed from the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio.
The sense of community is also within the blended 746th AMU.
"We have a mix of active duty and Reserve here. This deployment, we have integrated extremely well. The home units tend to take care of their planes, but when it gets busy and we need to focus on an airplane, everybody is on one team," said Sergeant Musial who hails from West Farmington, Ohio.
The reserve members are from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio and from Dobbins Air Force Base, Ga. The active duty members are from Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
"We have an outstanding group of people in the AMU. They do a great job and are very dedicated," said Senior Master Sgt. Craig D'Anniballe, 746th AMU flight chief, also deployed from Youngstown ARS near Vienna, Ohio.
The AMU has also expanded the community to include working closely with the Royal Australian Air Force C-130 unit here. Both units coordinate on activities inside their shared facility and aircraft movement within their shared maintenance ramp area.
"We have a very good relationship with the Royal Australian Air Force," said Sergeant D'Anniballe, who hails from North Lawrence, Ohio. "We also recently collaborated with the British Royal Air Force C-130 unit on technical data relative to C-130 wing-joint barrel nut inspections. We also share some equipment like aircraft jacks and at times we've assisted them by providing personnel for related tasks."
The senior leadership coordinates on manpower and parts so when one unit's airplane breaks and the other unit has the needed part, they can work within their mutual supply systems.
"We will get the part from them and then when our part comes in, we will give it back. The end result is we have a lot less downtime for the airplane and can meet the air tasking order," said Sergeant Musial. "We are definitely coalition partners and vice versa. They have helped us in a lot of situations."
The community concept enhances the 746th AMU's support of missions including medical evacuation flights, cargo and personnel movements, and combat missions for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
"The C-130 is such a versatile airplane. We are hauling vehicles, equipment, food, passengers and wounded," said Sergeant Musial.
The AMU has nearly 10 different specialty teams including crew chiefs, engine mechanics and propulsion specialists, electricians, Avionics personnel, supply specialists and a production section to manage day-to-day aircraft activity.
The production team ensures the 746th AMU can meet all the mission demands and coordinates appropriate personnel for workloads, flying schedule, launching and aircraft mission configuration, said Sergeant D'Anniballe, who served eight years active duty before switching to reserve duty.
"We are busy as a hub for the AOR. This is definitely a busy time for cargo aircraft," said Sergeant D'Anniballe. "The C-130 can go in and out of some remote places on unimproved short runways with its take-off and landing capabilities."
Up until April, when multiple C-130 aircraft forward deployed to Afghanistan, the AMU maintained one C-130 on alert 24 hours a day 7 days a week configured for a medical evacuation mission.
"If a call came in, we could have that plane launch within half an hour to support the AOR," said Sergeant Musial.
Sometimes the medical evacuation flight unloads patients at the maintenance ramp and the 746th AMU Airmen get a chance to help the medics offload.
"It is an honor to be here and be involved in this mission. It hits home on what we are here for and what we are doing. It means a lot to people and is a reminder of how important the mission is here," said Sergeant D'Anniballe.
"A typical day around here lately is either a feast or famine. We'll have some time where there isn't a lot going on and then we'll have airplanes landing and launching at a time," said Sergeant Musial. "It's kind of like a Nascar pit crew. The guys go out there and tackle the airplane. There have been times when an airplane lands and we literally have an hour or two to turn it -- refuel it, get it through flight inspection and change the configuration for the next mission."
Typically a plane can have 12 hours of downtime between missions, giving maintainers dedicated time to inspect it.
"If we have an airplane that is broke and we have an Air Tasking Order to meet, I will look at my inbound airplanes and decide to quick turn one to fill the [sortie] for the one that is broke," said Sergeant Musial.
"We handle all the inspections of the aircraft. We do any servicing which includes fuel, hydraulics, oil, oxygen, and tires and brakes," said Staff Sgt. Dale Etter, who is from the 2nd Airlift Squadron out of Pope Air Force Base, N.C. and is on his sixth deployment.
"The minute we have an aircraft land, our maintainers swarm on it with all the right technical data and safety in mind. They move very quickly and everybody understands the sense of urgency and how important it is to get that aircraft back mission ready," said Sergeant D'Anniballe.
From January through March, the 746th AMU maintained a mission capable rate of 85 percent, which is 10 percent above the Air Mobility Command standard. This allowed for a maintenance mission effectiveness rate of 96.7 percent, said Maj. Brad Forrider, 746th AMU officer in charge.
That effectiveness rate allowed the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, whose aircrews fly the C-130s here, to fly nearly 3,000 hours hauling 34,800 passengers, 1,700 tons of cargo, and 350 aeromedical patients throughout the AOR, said Lt. Col. John Kochansky, 746th EAS director of operations.