Photo By Master Sgt. Warren Wright | Army Pfc. Bradley McGuirk, an AH-64 attack helicopter repairer from Company D, 3rd...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan — Afghanistan's high altitude and mountainous terrain makes it difficult for vehicles to move supplies and get Soldiers safely in and out of the fight. That's where Army aviation comes in. Helicopter support plays a vital role in the success of the mission in Afghanistan.
But what keeps the helicopters in the air? The job of making sure the helicopters are working properly and are safe to fly is the responsibility of Company D, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Army helicopters are routinely put through a scheduled maintenance cycle that varies from aircraft to aircraft.
"Ensuring that the helicopters make their regularly scheduled maintenance is very important," said Spc. Matthew Riggle, an AH-64 attack helicopter repairer from D Company, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
"A helicopter will be brought in for maintenance about every two to three weeks, which is a lot sooner than in a garrison environment because they are being flown about three or four times as much as they would back in garrison," Riggle added.
Without the support of the maintainers, the troops on the ground would not have the support they need from the air, said Spc. Kenneth Mead an AH-64 attack helicopter repairer from D Company, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
The overall mission of Company D is to make sure the helicopters get back out in the field so that they can support the mission in Afghanistan, said Mead.
"When they come in for regular maintenance, we try to get them out as fast as we can," Mead added.
The maintenance teams of Company D work in shifts, so that they have someone working on the helicopters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Even if the crews are not on shift, they are on call. If something happens, crews can be called in at a moment's notice to go to work and fix the aircraft, said Riggle.
There are a lot of moving parts on the helicopters, so they have to be maintained. Because of the hours the helicopters are being flown, it has to be brought in and checked out frequently to make sure it is safe to fly, said Chief Warrant Officer Richard S. Olsen, the maintenance platoon leader and maintenance test pilot, Company D.
"That's why we're so strict about getting them in the hanger when the maintenance is due, because if we miss one, or we allow the aircraft to go past the scheduled maintenance, there's a good chance something could go wrong," said Riggle.
For most Soldiers of Company D, the favourite part of their job is finishing the work on an aircraft and pushing it out the door.
"It's a rewarding feeling knowing that the work that you've done, you actually get to see it in use, seeing it go away and fly," Riggle added.
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2009 15:01 |
| Story ID: | 39547 |
| Location: | KHOST, AF |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 158 |
This work, Helicopter repairers keep Soldiers in the air, fighting, by MSG Warren Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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