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Under the microscope: repair enhancement program benefits Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kirsten Wicker
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Maintenance Airmen working inside the hangars stay cool with brand new fans and also enjoy 15 new laptop computers. Little do they know that those items were purchased for them with funds that were saved repairing aircraft parts and other electronic devices on base.

The Air Force Repair Enhancement Program, staffed by six Airmen and operated by the 325th Maintenance Group, is a cost-savings program that allows the Air Force to save money to quickly repair difficult parts and generally, to fix anything that's old, unrecognizable, and otherwise deemed unfixable.

"The program is designed to fix parts that may be destined for the garbage," said Master Sgt. John Goerke, 325th Maintenance Operations Squadron AFREP section chief. "Instead of paying full price for a new part, we can take the part and repair it for a lot less money."

The money that is saved repairing a part rather than buying a new part, goes back to Airmen, he noted, adding, it goes into an account that provides funds for items or programs that enhance the work environment or aid Airmen in completing their jobs safely and effectively.

The shop has the ability to repair a variety of parts, particularly electronic parts, that come from the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 Phantom and soon, the F-22 Raptor. They can also repair TVs, computer monitors and handheld radio devices.

"Normally we would receive a list of items, then we would do some research to find out if it can be fixed here or if we could contract a civilian company to fix it for much less than a new part would cost," said Tech. Sgt. Ismael Rill, 325th MOS AFREP technician. "For the items we fix here, we do a lot of work under the microscope, to ensure it's precise and correct."

"We can even detect manufacturer errors from time to time," he said.

When an F-15 flame holder assembly came up for repair, the total cost for a brand new one was $17,000. AFREP Airmen put their research skills to work and were able to find a repair that cost just $2,400.

"Nearly 45 flame holder assemblies are repaired each year," Sergeant Goerke said. "This is a substantial savings for such an expensive part that we see more frequently."

The only other alternative method to repair such parts is to ship them to a supply depot, like the one at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and then...wait. The part will either be fixed or replaced and then shipped back.

According to officials, last year the Air Force-wide program on Tyndall saved nearly $1.2 million. This year so far it has saved roughly $800,000. Throughout Air Education and Training Command, Tyndall has one of the most active shops.

"We have a lot of work to keep us busy when F-15 parts come in," Sergeant Rill said. "Soon, we'll be busy with F-22 parts with the new squadron the way."

The maintainers who work in the AFREP shop hail from various Air Force job specialties, but they have one thing in common. They were hand-picked to attend a five week-long course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to learn in greater depth how to repair devices down to the tiniest detail - details that are only visible under a microscope. The training also features precise repair methods foreign to most maintainers, including work with circuit cards and micro-soldering equipment.

"The course teaches us troubleshooting techniques and what to look for," said Sergeant Rill. "Sometimes microscope work can get a little tough on the eyes, but it's a great skill to have."

The repair enhancement program has provided funding for items such as new carpeting, lighting, fans, computers, shelving and even air conditioning for work trucks. The account is managed by the 325th MXG and funds are distributed based on need.