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News | Aug. 18, 2020

Pulse of the flight line: AGE provides, maintains equipment to get aircraft back to the warfighter

By Joseph Mather Robins Public Affairs

The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex Aerospace Ground Support Equipment Flight plays an essential part in keeping the sustainment mission moving to get aircraft back to the warfighter.

Man working
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Bo Rowland, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Group Aerospace Ground Equipment power Support Mechanic, does a preventive maintenance check to a scissor lift at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2020. The AGE Flight stores, tracks and maintains 5,600 pieces of equipment that support the sustainment mission with Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)
Man working
Pulse of the flight line: AGE provides, maintains equipment to g
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Bo Rowland, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Group Aerospace Ground Equipment power Support Mechanic, does a preventive maintenance check to a scissor lift at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2020. The AGE Flight stores, tracks and maintains 5,600 pieces of equipment that support the sustainment mission with Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)
Photo By: Joseph Mather
VIRIN: 200814-F-ED303-1001
The AGE team’s mission is to provide and maintain power and non-powered equipment to the ALC.

“We provide and maintain generators, air conditioners, hydraulic and pneumatic carts, stands and many other types of equipment for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex,” said Ryan Caine Lewis, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Group’s AGE Flight chief. “We have 5,600 pieces of equipment ready for use, stored across a 20-acre area known as Pad 8,” he said.

The AGE Team provides delivery, pick up and a road-side service when equipment breaks.

“When any of the groups call us, they tell us what they need and we dispatch the equipment to them,” said Lewis. “We do road-calls for all our equipment. If a piece of equipment breaks on the flight line, we go out and repair it on the spot. If we cannot repair it, we replace it with another piece of equipment to prevent work stoppage with the maintenance teams.”

When the equipment is returned, the AGE team has a full-service maintenance shop to keep various pieces of equipment ready for use 24/7.

“It’s a big responsibility,” said Kyle Burch, 402nd AXSG AGE Production chief. “Without our piece of the puzzle, they can’t perform the function they are assigned to perform.”

The AGE dispatchers track more than 5,000 pieces of equipment in the Facility Equipment Maintenance System.

Man working
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Michael Smock, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Group Aerospace Ground Equipment Power Support mechanic, does corrective maintenance to a DASH-86 aircraft generator at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2020. The AGE Flight does preventive and corrective maintenance to 5,600 pieces of equipment that support the sustainment mission with Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)
Man working
Pulse of the flight line: AGE provides, maintains equipment to g
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Michael Smock, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Group Aerospace Ground Equipment Power Support mechanic, does corrective maintenance to a DASH-86 aircraft generator at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2020. The AGE Flight does preventive and corrective maintenance to 5,600 pieces of equipment that support the sustainment mission with Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)
Photo By: Joseph Mather
VIRIN: 200814-F-ED303-1002
“We have three dispatchers that are responsible for handling the customers call in and road-calls,” said Burch. They dispatch drivers to deliver or pick up equipment. We use FEMS to track the equipment, maintenance schedule and capture all the work we perform to maintain the equipment we use.”

The maintenance shop keeps the AGE equipment up and running for the complex.

“We have 52 powered systems mechanics, four painters that do corrosion control and nine expediters that provide support to the AGE mission,” said Burch. “In July, we completed 822 work orders on preventive and corrective maintenance to AGE support equipment.”

A full maintenance shop requires parts and storage of supplies to support the mission.

“Our mission is to support the AGE flight by providing supplies and material to the production team,” said Jason Wood, 402nd AXSG AGE Support chief. “If any of the 5,600 pieces of AGE equipment breaks, we provide the replacement parts to our mechanics to make necessary repairs on the support equipment. This prevents down time with the aircraft maintenance group.”

The flight provides 24/7 support services.

“Our mission on a daily basis is to sustain the equipment the aircraft maintenance group uses to perform their mission,” said Burch.

The AGE team is unique, said Wood

“I have been a part of a lot of teams and everybody here brings something to the table,” he said. “We learn from each other and we support each other and we flow together so nice.”

Lewis agreed.

“It’s a rewarding job to come down here and see the team effort involved. Everybody is like a family down here and their hard work makes me proud to be a part of this team.”


Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Robins Air Force Base website.