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Determination and ingenuity prevail

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. James Law
  • 455 Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan --  The 819th RED HORSE Squadron accomplished what some initially thought to be improbable with a successful operational check of a water-well drilling rig here March 21. 

The rig, one of two in the Air Force's inventory, was shipped from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. in September 2007. After reaching a port in Pakistan, the rig was loaded onto a flatbed trailer to be hauled here. En route, the driver got the 34-ton piece of equipment stuck in a tunnel. Air was released from the trailer's tires to back it out of the tunnel, but both the rig and the trailer were damaged. Traveling a different route, using a different trailer, the transport broke requiring the drilling rig to be transferred to another truck and trailer. In the process, the rig came off the trailer and flipped over on its side. 

"We were originally told when we got here (in October) that it had sustained $413,000 in damage and that it was not repairable," said Master Sgt. John Moreland, 819th RED HORSE metals technology NCO-in-charge. 

Sergeant Moreland explained this estimation was made after a list of damaged parts was compiled and a quote from the manufacture for replacement costs was obtained. 

Sergeant Moreland reassessed the rig, determined it could be repaired and requested authorization to fix it. 

"Knowing what my skills are, knowing my abilities and knowing the group of people assigned here with me are the reasons I believed we could repair this unit," said Sergeant Moreland. 

"ACC (Air Combat Command) wanted to have a representative from (the manufacturer) to come over and make a technical assessment to determine what parts they were going to need and if it was repairable," said Sergeant Moreland. 

Sergeant Moreland explained the manufacturer was contacted with the request, but was reluctant to send a technician into a potentially hostile environment. 

Sergeant Moreland said without the manufacturer's assessment and not being able to meet the ACC requirement, it appeared the rig was destined to be turned into the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office as scrap metal. But he still continued to work the subject with his chain of command who in turn kept in contact with ACC. 

Approximately three months after making the request, Sergeant Moreland received authorization to make whatever repairs possible without spending any money. 

Sergeant Moreland's first action was removing a mast weighing roughly 12,000-pounds and determining the best course of action to make the repairs. 

"The one item that was a go or no-go for the repair was the mast," said Sergeant Moreland. "It was twisted at the top about two and half inches." 

The mast is the main drilling component that stands 36 feet high and hoists and lowers the drill pipe as well as provides the rotational torque required to turn the drill pipe and drill bit. 

Sergeant Moreland used chains, hydraulic tools and construction equipment to manipulate the mast's frame back to specifications. 

With the mast repaired, Sergeant Moreland focused on fabricating and repairing dozens of smaller components required before reassembling the rig. 

"Tech. Sgt. Kuhn was a huge part helping me get the thing back together," said Sergeant Moreland. "We could anticipate what the other person was going to do and what we needed to do." 

"I jumped in and started helping at the point when there was a lot of tedious work that was going to be very time consuming for one person," said Tech. Sgt. Casey Kuhn, 819th RED HORSE heavy equipment operator. 

Less than seven weeks after starting the repairs and $80 spent on two bearings, the well digger was ready for an operational check. The RED HORSE Airmen setup the rig and drilled a 71-foot test hole. 

"We were able to do all the testing we needed to do in the depth we drilled," said Sergeant Moreland. "Everything on the rig worked as it was supposed to." 

"It's impressive what they've accomplished in such a short period of time," said Capt. Matt Sturtevant, 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group officer-in-charge. "I think a lot of people had given up on this actually coming together, but thanks to the efforts of Master Sgt. Moreland and Tech. Sgt. Kuhn, we're able to deliver and just in time for spring." 

The water-well drilling rig will be used to provide water sources to coalition forces at forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.