379th EMXS AGE flight keeps the flightline moving

U.S Air Force Senior Airman Tyler Thibault, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment maintenance journeyman tightens a clamp on a hose at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, June 30, 2014. The AGE flight provides maintenance stands, electricity, equipment used to load munitions to support aircraft assigned at Al Udeid. Thibault is deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota and his hometown is New Orleans. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colin Cates)

379th EMXS AGE flight keeps the flightline moving

Published July 3, 2014
By Senior Airman Colin Cates
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar -- As the sun bakes aircraft on the flight line, the day starts with maintainers climbing into their respected aircraft to tackle the repairs of the day. The temperature is well over 130 degrees inside, as work begins and perspiration is seeping from every pore of their body, like a massive hydraulic leak.

All of a sudden, a huge relief come over the maintainers in the way of cool fresh air being pumped in by an air conditioning unit and provides reprieve from the unwavering summer heat.

That relief came at the hands of the U.S Air Force Airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment flight who work behind the scenes in order for maintainers to work safely, repair aircraft and return the airplanes to the fight downrange.

AGE duplicates aircraft systems while on the ground -- cooling, electrical power generation and hydraulics -- without running the actual engines on the plane.

"We consist of 4 sections: maintenance, inspections, servicing pick-up and delivery and production support," said Senior Master Sgt. Jaysen Lausten, 379th EMXS, AGE flight chief. "Each section plays an essential role in the accomplishment of the mission and that is to provide serviceable, top quality, on-time delivery of ground equipment to support the air tasking order."

The AGE flight also provides maintenance stands, electricity, equipment used to load munitions and nitrogen, and lights to directly support various aircraft to include the B-1 Lancer, C-130J Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, E-8C Joint Stars, C-17 Globemaster III and transient aircraft.

Being deployed to the desert, where temperatures are extreme and can peak to more than 130 degrees, bears down on Airmen, aircraft and equipment.

"It is my job to find out what went wrong, fix it, and make steps to prevent it from happening again," said Senior Airman Tyler Taylor, 379th EMXS,AGE maintenance journeymen.

The AGE Flight has more than 100 total force supporting over 70 coalition Aircraft and four forward operating locations with-in the area of responsibility. They maintain more than 640 pieces of Aerospace Ground Equipment valued at approximately 30 million dollars.

"It all comes back to the amount of maintenance and ground power needed to get aircraft up for the next mission," said Lausten. "In the last year, AGE has accomplished over 2,236 inspections, performed 7,010 maintenance actions which enabled the generation of 13,290 combat sorties for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing."

Each day in this dynamic deployed environment presents new challenges which gives the AGE flight the opportunity excel.

"It feels good to know that we maintain everything they need to get up in the air; our motto is there is no air power without ground power," said Taylor.