Photo By Airman 1st Class Breanne White | U.S. Air Force Airmen First Class Mike Dong, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Ground...... read more read more
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FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Fairchild’s 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron launched a new Internal Airlift/Helicopter Slingable-Container Unit repair initiate that will save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Since the inception of the Internal Airlift/Helicopter Slingable-Container Unit in the 1980s, Air Force units have come to rely on these containers as an enabling factor for rapid global mobility.
ISUs provide an alternative to the standard Air Force cargo pallet since they require fewer skills in pallet build-up, can be contour-configured for specific aircraft, can segregate items into readily accessible compartments, can be easily secured in a deployed environment, and offer sensitive asset protection from severe weather. Unlike normal cargo pallets, which are centrally managed, tracked, and repaired by the Air Force, the ISU is not.
“ISUs are procured and managed by each unit,” said Airman 1st Class Mike Dong, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron ground transportation apprentice. “Unit-level repair is a time-sensitive and cost-prohibitive thing, so most units just buy new ones and dispose of the old.”
Most multimodal containers require yearly recertification after five years from the date of manufacture. There is no such ISU requirement, and it is common to see 20-year-old ISUs loaded on today’s aircraft during the most current missions.
“Cost to repair ISUs ranges from $200 to $3,000,” said Dong, “Even with added per diem cost, repair savings are approximately half a million [dollars] over replacement.”
During a survey of Fairchild ISUs, four were “beyond repair” while 30 were deemed repairable, saving Fairchild thousands of dollars per ISU.
“This is an important innovation that the LRS is doing for both Fairchild and Air Mobility Command,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jose Munoz, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron senior enlisted leader. “It’s a big deal to save that amount of money, and to add those ISUs back to the mission in great repaired condition.”
Although installation ISU repair initiatives save significant money over buying new, there are still significant costs in per diem, shipment of repair parts to location, and time incurred by the installation.
“The time it took to complete the repairs to the ISUs and return them to ‘air worthiness’ was six days total,” said Senior Airmen Andrew Knight, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron ground transportation assistant. “To order new ISUs it would have taken 6 to 18 months with the order process and shipping.”
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2021 20:52 |
| Story ID: | 407277 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 294 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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