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Missile maintenance section becomes more efficient

  • Published
  • By Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Airmen across Air Force Global Strike Command are taking the initiative to improve operational processes.  Recently, at the recommendation of a maintainer focus group, the 91st Maintenance Group's Mechanical and Pneudraulics Section was reorganized into two separate shops to improve the group's processes. 

In 2008, the mechanical shop and pneudraulics shop were combined to form MAPS, resulting in a loss of nine positions. 

"Juggling the qualifications for both the missile field and base was once a daunting task for the MAPS team, and this fragmentation made it difficult for MAPS personnel to keep current on all requirements," said Master Sgt. David Heatherly, 91st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of MAPS. 

A focus group of maintainers proposed that they split the missile field dispatch tasks off of MAPS responsibilities to form a separate section, the Survivable Systems Team. 

Six positions have since been added to the unit manning document to support the SST section.  The SST's mission is to maintain operational readiness systems in the missile field: this includes maintaining blast valves, blast doors, shock isolation systems, operator chairs, oxygen regeneration units and nuclear/biological/chemical filters.

On base, MAPS will continue to maintain a wide variety of special purpose vehicles and support equipment such as payload transporters, transporter erectors, A-Circuits, launch tube work cages and cranes. 

The narrower mission focus for both the MAPS and SST sections will allow a more efficient training timeline for technicians. 

"Qualifications will be much faster now," said Senior Airman Samuel Fry, MAPS team chief and instructor.  He said while most Airmen are continuously in upgrade training, most will now be fully qualified on their particular jobs within a matter of months.

The new reorganization will also help overcome logistical challenges the maintainers faced.  Though some of Heatherly's MAPS personnel will still dispatch to the field during the transition, he has already seen benefits to being able to specialize on a particular facet of the job.  For example, it has started streamlining his scheduling process. 

Prior to the split, his span of control was stretched with half of his maintainers in the field and half on base each day.  Now he will be able to supervise all of his technicians performing on-base tasks.  "I definitely like this more," he said. 

During the transition phase, two team chiefs and two new maintenance Airmen have moved from the MAPS section to the SST.  They are being augmented by one MAPS member until the new Airmen complete their missile field qualifications. 

Tech. Sgt. Forest Porter, noncommissioned officer in charge of the new SST section, said, "This initiative has really motivated both MAPS and SST Airmen, because they see that leadership has listened to their concerns and acted on them.  Our team chiefs are better able to focus on maintenance tasks from start to finish, and they feel more of a sense of ownership, driving increased job satisfaction."