EC-130H squadron hits major milestones

Published Nov. 28, 2011
By Master Sgt. Mary Davis
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Maintainers of the EC-130H Compass Call at Bagram Airfield have a lot to be proud of. Not only does the squadron maintain the Air Force's only EC-130H aircraft fleet, it facilitated several significant milestones while in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 41st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit enabled the modified C-130 airborne tactical weapons systems to fly more than 24,000 hours on 4,000 sorties, enabling the capture of 600 high-value individuals, 4,500 detainees and 340 weapons caches.

"Making these milestones happen with an aging fleet and a steady deployment rotation is challenging," said Capt. Lisa Stokey, 455 EAMXS EC-130H officer in charge. "I can honestly say this is one of the most impressive aircraft maintenance squadrons I've ever been a part of. The mission is unique, and the maintainers I work with are selfless miracle workers. "

Coordinating aircraft maintenance to keep the mission going is Master Sgt. Patrick Dougherty's job. As the production superintendent, Dougherty has the difficult task of orchestrating repairs on the EC-130H fleet from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

"Since the aircraft are constantly flying sorties, our technicians have to be good at what they do," said Dougherty, a St. Cloud, Fla., native. "We provide aircraft to operators that support International Security Assistance Force ground forces. They depend on us to do our jobs, so they can do theirs and keep people safe."

These unique aircraft keep people safe by performing tactical command, control and communications countermeasures.

On his first deployment, Staff Sgt. Brandon Bell, EC-130H aerospace propulsion craftsman, is the lead engine technician.

"Whenever an aircraft comes down with an engine discrepancy or scheduled engine maintenance, we make sure it's repaired," said the mechanic from Plano, Texas. "Doing our job can sometimes be challenging because sometimes we won't have certain pieces of equipment, which we have to borrow from other shops."

For example, the team recently performed a propeller change and didn't have a crane or a hangar to perform the maintenance in, Bell said.

"We had to borrow a crane and change the propeller outside. This is the first time I've done that," said the staff sergeant, who is on his second deployment. "Ideally, you would do this in a hangar, because you have more control of the situation. Using a crane outside is more difficult because you have a hard time trying to communicate."

Dougherty said he was pleased with Bell and the rest of the maintainers for their professionalism and hard work that contributed to these milestones.

"I'm extremely proud of this team," the master sergeant said. "Some of these Airmen are on their first deployment and are really doing an excellent job out here. They work very hard and sometimes have to think outside the box to get things done. It's rewarding to know what we do contributes to the mission here."

Stokey agreed with her production superintendent.

"The diligence and technical skills of these maintainers are the only reason these aircraft are still in the air," said Stokey, who hails from Brooksville, Fla. "I'm reminded every day how dedicated and resourceful these men and women are, and I am lucky to be a part of this team."