Photo By Airman 1st Class Savannah Carpenter | An Airman assigned to the 41st Rescue Generation Squadron changes a part on a new...... read more read more
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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.— An HH-60W Jolly Green II sustained engine damage after ingesting a mylar blanket, leading to a precautionary landing at Landing Zone 42 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, March 7, 2025.
In response, the 41st Rescue Generation Squadron’s maintenance team quickly arrived at the scene to assess the damage. They worked in coordination with the 23rd Security Forces Squadron and the 23rd Logistics Readiness Squadron to secure the aircraft and ensure the operation continued smoothly, highlighting the seamless teamwork critical to mission success.
“This situation is a perfect example of the flexibility of our Mission Support Airmen and how we directly tie into the 23rd Wing Mission, strengthening our operation readiness,” said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Cherry, 23rd Mission Support Group, senior enlisted leader. “A total team effort from the security and protection of the rotary aircraft and supporting personnel to transport the critical parts and equipment, all while continuously enabling the home station mission. There are no obstacles our Airmen cannot overcome together.”
Following the precautionary landing, the 41st RGS immediately took action, guiding the crew through engine shutdown and assembling a maintenance recovery team. A borescope inspection confirmed irreparable engine damage, requiring a full replacement. The team coordinated with the 23rd SFS and 23rd LRS to support the operation.
“We knew it was going to be a long-haul situation, and that we were not going to be able to get a team out until the morning,” said Master Sgt. William Bennett, 41st RGS production superintendent. “The aircraft had to be guarded because it wasn’t in a secure location – security forces did a great job of coordinating a team making it possible to have 24/7 coverage there. They were prepared to be out there until Monday, and their flight leadership was able to reach out through every shift change and give us the information of who was in charge The same goes out to the 23rd LRS – we coordinated ground transit with them Friday morning, once we knew we could have all of the equipment and all of the tools and parts that we were going to need.”
On the morning of March 8, the maintenance recovery team, along with the 23rd LRS, made their way to the secured landing zone to begin the engine swap. Replacing the engine involved sourcing a replacement engine, removing the damaged one, and swapping out the line-replaceable units (LRUs). Meanwhile, the 23rd SFS continued guarding the aircraft while the 23rd LRS provided essential equipment for transporting the engine trailer. During the repair process, the team encountered unexpected challenges.
“One expected issue was that one of our engine mount struts had a bolt seized through one of the mounting holes on the old engine,” said Senior Airman Christian Gabriel, 41st RGS assistant dedicated crew chief. “We had to call back to the office and have someone look up the part to make sure we had it on base and then bring it to the area.”
According to Bennett, without the necessary part, the aircraft would have been grounded until it could be sourced or, if needed, parts could be cannibalized from another helicopter.
Despite these setbacks, the team completed the engine swap by midnight, and the aircraft was operational and ready to fly back to base by the following morning—well ahead of the original expectation of a Monday timeline. Bennett credited the success of the operation to the collaboration and coordination between all units involved.
“Everybody was doing a really good job giving me all of the needed contacts, so if we needed more equipment or if we needed security forces to stay longer than we anticipated, they were going to be available,” Bennett said. “Additionally, there was a lot of leg work being done back at home base, such as coordinating a functional check flight air crew that could come out and make sure that we are getting those checks over the weekend, and then making sure we have airspace which involved working with air traffic controllers and the maintenance operations control to ensure they were going to be in on the weekend to support the recovery. There was a lot going back on here at home station while we were out.”
Gabriel also highlighted how essential the collaboration between units was, especially when it came to maneuvering the heavy engine during the swap – mentioning that before heading to the scene, the unit came together to prepare and organize everything they might need for the event, which proved to be invaluable.
The mission’s success was a result not only of the coordinated efforts across multiple units but also of extensive training conducted beforehand.
“I would say that a lot of training goes into it,” said Bennett. “We hear ACE (agile combat employment) all of the time, it’s been implemented for decades. When we go TDY (temporary duty), and we pack up and execute those missions, we are not always going to the same places. We are going all over the country and sometimes the world, and I think the rescue community does a really good job of being able to respond to circumstances like this.”
Bennett emphasized that their team regularly conducts terminal employment exercises at Avon Park to ensure they are always prepared for deployment, determining the minimum equipment and parts needed in advance. This proactive mindset allows them to remain agile and ready for unforeseen situations, such as the one they encountered.
“I think it is invaluable to have a real-world situation like this that’s unique,” said Bennett. “We do have these opportunities that come up semi frequently, but it’s not daily. So, every time we get to do something like this, we just get a few more data points, so we can streamline those processes.”
This continuous learning from hands-on operations reinforces the importance of adapting and evolving based on real-time challenges, as Col. Bobby Buckner emphasized while discussing the incident and one that happened soon after.
“Over the past month my maintainers have demonstrated twice that they can change out a highly complicated jet engine on top of a helicopter in a swamp or field away from traditional aircraft maintenance support,” said Col. Bobby Buckner, 23rd Maintenance Group commander. “They do this work in the heat and cold, in the sun and dark of night. My maintainers are constantly pushed to operate outside their comfort zone, and I encourage this discomfort. When they are operating in the next flight, I want them to be able to lead, take risks and do their jobs in contested, degraded, or limited environments – they need their wingmen, some tools, and the trust in their leadership that we will support their choices.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2025 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 494366 |
| Location: | MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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