Air Force Maintenance Will Not Reorganize
Back and forth. Back and Force. Back and Forth. Last June I reported that the (then) Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. T. Michael Moseley wanted to reorganize aircraft crew chiefs, flightline maintainers and weapons loaders from maintenance squadrons into operation squadrons by the end of 2008. The Air Force had tried this once in the early 90s, but the idea didn't work out so good, so they undid the reorganization in 2002.
Now it seems that the new Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz has put a stop to that plan. In a press statement, Schwartz said, "“Independent maintenance groups produce professionals with the highest levels of maintenance and logistics competency and that translates to mission effectiveness."
Comments
In the 1950’s, all the maintenance people were in one squadron. For example the 26th F.I.S. All the crew chiefs and the other maintenance people knew each other. so everybody worked together. Morale was up.
Joe Julich USAF Retired
FIX IT TILL IT’S BROKE…isn’t that how officers, with nothing better to do, occupy their time…believe it or not, Sirs, there’s a system within the military which transcends all of officialdom. It’s called the NCO Support Chain, and it really works! However,
in order for it to function, there are two mandates:
1) Trust your NCOs (talk is cheap…display that trust by getting completely off their backs. Go fishing, or stay busy with officer schtick).
2) Speaking of officer schtick, I am reminded of my Drill Instructors in days of yore…their admonition…SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO. Translation: If you’re input is required, we’ll send in our First Sergeant to get you. Otherwise, see you at the Christmas Party!
In the span of my 21, I have seen more officers attempt to re-invent the wheel, only to become a source of consternation, confusion, and, yes, laughter…and all before morning coffee!
When I was a crew chief, back in the Dark Ages, at a PATFLIGHT (Priority Air Transport) operation, one of our duties, in addition to those which would help ensure that the aircraft performed as advertised, was to apply wax to tin. This, of course, was intended to make the aeroplane pleasing to the eye of Generals and other Maitre Ds from the 5-pointed animal house on the Patomac. One day, our newly-assigned maintenance officer, recently promoted from the legions of Wobly Ones, observed that the personnel on wax detail were employing multiple cans and of different brands. The next morning, all personnel were rolling on the hangar floor, after noting the memo, signed by our intrepid leader:
ALL AIRCRAFT WILL BE POLISHED
FROM THE SAME CAN OF WAX
Sarge