HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group, part of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, credits wingman culture and protective measures for continued mission success during COVID-19.
Comprised of seven maintenance squadrons and more than 2,000 personnel, the 309th AMXG performs depot maintenance, repair and overhaul on A-10, C-130, F-16, F-22, F-35 and T-38 airframes for multiple Department of Defense agencies and foreign military partners.
The 309th AMXG implemented a wide variety of safety measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic to protect the largest direct labor work force on base.
“For us, it was how can we maintain our work floor and ensure the safety of our employees,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Rivers, 309th AMXG deputy director.
The group implemented single points of entry to all work stations and equipped those areas with hand washing stations. All employees were issued two masks for use when social distancing could not be maintained and a supply of replacement masks were on hand.
The group also implemented four 10-hour work shifts to offset different work crews that share a common location to minimize exposure times. Start, break and lunch times were also staggered.
“COVID-19 has had minimal impact to our production efforts,” Rivers said.
In addition to continuing its mission of aircraft production, the unit has not had a single case of COVID-19 amongst its employees.
“Honestly, our work force and the way they’ve responded with each other’s safety in mind is why we have zero Covid-19 cases while continuing to produce aircraft,” said Sandy Fitzgerald, 309th AMXG director.
The group has mechanisms in place to respond to presumptive COVID-19 cases that includes contact tracing, quarantining and disinfecting work areas. The group has responded to more than 40 presumptive cases since the pandemic began.