Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Alder | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany –U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Pouncey, 86th...... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- All U.S. Air Force equipment relies upon accuracy. Whether it’s a torque measurement, weight measurement or an electrical signal; it all relies upon accurate calibration. Without this accuracy the ability for our equipment to perform begins to falter.
The 86th Maintenance Squadron’s precision measurement equipment laboratory at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, ensures accuracy is maintained for any equipment that requires it. The PMEL technicians use their arsenal of calibration equipment to verify that the readings displayed on critical equipment are correct.
The mission of PMEL is to ensure safe, accurate, reliable and traceable verification of measurement equipment.
Ramstein’s PMEL flight is the largest in U.S. European Command. They support not only Ramstein but also the rest of the U.S. EUCOM; United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa; United States Central Command; and United States Transportation Command.
There are a multitude of sections within PMEL from electronics to physical and dimensional. According to the Airmen in the shop, the work is diverse and interesting.
“I like to work and I don’t like to stay in one place,” said Airman 1st Class Christian Rodriguez, 86 MXS PMEL technician. “In PMEL I get the chance to see and experience different types of calibration tasks.”
Not only do Airmen have the opportunity to work with different types of calibration platforms, but they also find the work relates to their own lives.
“Take pressure for example; we use pressure every single day of our lives, but we never see it,” said Rodriguez. “Your tires have pressure, your engine has pressure, and now that I work in PMEL these are the things I notice every day.”
Whether an Airman is a new or experienced PMEL technician, there is always something that intrigues them in their daily line of work.
For Staff Sgt. Joshua Frisbee, 86th MXS PMEL craftsman, his fascination comes as he lifts a frosty glass vial from a chiller, and with a gentle tap, it starts to grow ice crystals. This device is called a triple point, and is at the perfect temperature and pressure to allow all three phases of water – ice, liquid and gas; to exist at one time inside of a sealed test tube.
“The idea that somebody took the time to find the exact point that would allow all three states of matter to exist simultaneously, is fascinating,” Frisbee said. “It takes us 30 minutes to set this up, but the amount of time someone had to put into developing this was probably their entire life’s work.”
The wide range of tools and equipment in PMEL’s laboratory supports their main goal; calibrating precision.
Whether it’s a torque wrench used to apply bolts to wheels on a truck or a plane, a scale for weighing personnel or cargo, or a frequency generator to secure communications; every single piece of equipment that the Air Force uses to complete its daily missions around the world, are calibrated by the professionals at an Air Force PMEL shop.
“PMEL is a big part of the Air Force mission,” Rodriguez said. “Many people don’t even know that it exists or what it does, but I do and I’m happy I’m part of the PMEL mission.”
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2022 06:13 |
| Story ID: | 421999 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Putting the precision in PMEL, by TSgt Nicholas Alder, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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