Reservists save millions of dollars with a few steps

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Leslie Forshaw
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing Maintenance Group are charged with not only maintaining life-saving aircraft here, but also saving millions of dollars in equipment damage with a few simple steps.

Several times a week, as the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean, which is about a stone's throw away from the flightline, about 100 maintenance personnel line up on one side of the aircraft parking ramp.  Spread out six football fields in width, they begin a human sweep for any debris or foreign objects across to the other side, about a football field-and-a-half away.

They search for and eliminate anything which could potentially be sucked into any one of the wing's 15 aircraft engines or mechanical systems: six HC-130P/N King fixed-wing aircraft or nine HH-60G Pave Hawk's helicopters.

The Foreign Object Damage or Debris (FOD) and Dropped Object Prevention (DOP) Programs are an incredibly important part of the maintenance regime here - and often not thought of by the majority of Patrick Air Force Base personnel.

"These FOD walks are important to the safety of our aircraft," said Master Sgt. Brian Ball, 920th Rescue Wing FOD/DOP Monitor. "We save millions of dollars in repairs by participating in this preventative maintenance."

Before any vehicle can enter the flightline area, the driver must inspect the tires and under carriage to make sure there are no damage-causing objects, said Sergeant Ball.

These objects can be anything that is potentially damaging to the aircraft or flight, such as rocks, food wrappers, sticks and chunks of asphalt or cement.

This mandatory program here keeps people in check as they go about their daily work on the flight line. As a precaution, before every flight the crew chief will inspect the area around the aircraft for debris and right before any landing, the same procedure will be in effect.

Due to low manning, the maintenance squadron cannot be on the flight line every morning for FOD walks; instead, there is a motorized sweeper that is used in the interim.

The FOD walk and awareness isn't just for the sticks and stones, but also holds the maintenance Airman responsible for the tools and equipment they bring on the flight line, said Sergeant Ball.

"Every piece of equipment must be accounted for after working on an aircraft," explains Sergeant Ball. "We describe it as a clean-as-you-go process."

This program is so important that every incoming Reservist here is subjected to the training at the monthly "Newcomer's Brief" that welcomes them, but also gives them a run-down of the 920th RQW and all the different programs and procedures here.

"We, maintenance and safety folks, don't want it to turn into out-of-sight  out-of-mind on the flight line," said Tech. Sgt. Raymond McCaig, 920th RQW Ground Safety Manager. "Everyone is involved with this program."

By creating awareness of potential harm the most ordinary rock or stick could have saved our aircraft, which in turn, saves lives, said Sergeant Ball.

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