HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Taking to the skies 50 years ago, the F-15 Eagle can now be called a Golden Eagle and the Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 309th Commodities Maintenance Group continues to play a significant role in keeping it soaring.
The men and women of the 309th CMXG technical repair center for landing gear, wheels, brakes, secondary power systems, hydraulics, pneudraulics, and composites work every day to support this workhorse that has never been shot down by an adversary aircraft.
“We, in the 531st Commodities Maintenance Squadron, overhaul a significant portion of the F-15 hydraulics, for the landing gear system and steering system, and flight controls for the wings and tail,” said Brian Moss, 531st CMXS deputy director. “We also overhaul the M61A1 20mm gun, fuel tanks, and missile launchers for the F-15.”
Moss said his team works about 100,000 hours annually to help keep the F-15 in the air.
“We’re proud of our mechanics and overall team’s professionalism in their work every day for this aircraft and our warfighter, he said.”
In another location within the maintenance group, the maintainers in the 532nd CMXS take care of all the F-15 landing gear components.
“We overhaul and service parts such as the main landing gear strut assemblies as well as the nose landing gear,” said Troy Bertagnolli, 532nd CMXS director of operations for landing gear. “We also overhaul the brakes and wheels for this aircraft"
Within the squadrons of the 309th CMXG, skilled technicians completely breakdown these F-15 components, rebuild, and test them under controlled conditions to be sure every part passes all the tests and is ready to continue the F-15 legacy.
“Our process is extensive and passes through the hands of 30 or more people per part, who have their own unique job to verify serviceability,” Bertagnolli, said. “Every single part has a stringent requirement it goes through to ensure the safety of the warfighter using and relying on it.”
It can take up to 170 production days before some of these complex F-15 parts are meticulously overhauled, by the book, and certified safe and ready to be installed back on the air-to-air combat, tactical fighter.
Bertagnolli, said the people on his team feel a great sense of pride and dedication in what they do with the F-15 and have ingratiated the work into their DNA.
“Keeping a legacy workload like the F-15 in the air carries tremendous responsibility to carry out mission essential requirements,” he said. “We carry a deep sense of pride knowing we are an essential asset in the machine that our country relies on to protect her interests.”
Moss agrees with the magnitude and importance of the work done in CMXG on the F-15 because it’s such an important multi-mission Air Force asset.
“My hope is our work supports the well-being of people around the world,” he said. “It's cool to see an F15 and recognize a lot of the work we do on the aircraft.”