309th EMXG director and A-10 Speedline take AFMC-level honors

  • Published
  • By Bill Orndorff
  • 309th Maintenance Wing
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  A director and a team from the 309th Maintenance Wing will receive 2009 Depot Maintenance Management Awards from Air Force Materiel Command.

Rick Buhl, 309th Electronics Maintenance Group director, has been selected as outstanding depot maintenance manager; and the A-10 Speedline Team from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group was named the Outstanding Depot Maintenance Management Team (Production).

The management awards recognize contributions by individuals and teams to further depot maintenance management, and acknowledge contributions by depot maintenance managers in maintenance wings and the AFMC headquarters depot maintenance organization.

Selection is based on a one-page nomination form listing job performance and results, and other achievements. Awardees receive a plaque and letter of commendation.

"I am honored to receive this award on behalf of the outstanding men and women of the 309 EMXG," Buhl said. "While it is officially an individual award, the accomplishments for which I am being recognized reflect the hard work and dedication of the entire group. Their commitment to supporting the warfighter is unparalleled and I am proud to serve with them every day."

Buhl has been the 309th EMXG director since January 2009. The group maintains, repairs, overhauls and modifies avionics, instruments and generators for Air Force weapon systems. Under his guidance, the group:

SBltâÇReorganized the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory and subsequently passed the Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program audit, the first time since 1979 that the lab has been certified with no exceptions

SBltâÇProduced items at 107 percent of the quarterly demand rate, reducing "mission capable" hours by 15 percent and reducing labor constraints by 53 percent

SBltâÇReceived no write-ups in the entire group during the May 2009 Logistics Standardization Evaluation Team "re-look" inspection

SBltâÇReceived Aviation Week magazine's Laureate Award for outstanding maintenance, repair and overhaul initiatives

SBltâÇReceived a 99.22 percent pass rate on 900 environmental compliance inspections; and rated 100 percent in compliance with air quality and hazardous waste standards

SBltâÇSpearheaded an Integrated Process Team, made up of the Defense Logistics Agency, the Global Logistics Supply Chain and Ogden Air Logistics Center, to reduce parts transit time to and from Kadena Air Base, Japan, from 45 days to three days

SBltâÇProvided logistics expertise to Air Force acquisition program independent review teams after being requested by name by the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.

The A-10 Speedline team, located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., is made up of more than 100 mechanics, maintainers and technicians from the 576th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Squadron, the 577th Commodities Reclamation Squadron and the 309th Support Squadron, led by Larry Gee.

The team successfully completed an $8 million project to inspect and repair 168 A-10 trunnion attachment fittings. The trunnion is the attachment point of the main landing gear and wing. Stress to the trunnion has caused wing cracks in the aircraft. They returned 84 previously grounded jets back into service -- some of which were flown directly from the speedline to the battlefield.

As part of the work, the team saved 338 labor hours per jet, which in turn saved the Air Force $1.68 million. Work included changing engines, replacing fuel bladders and operations checks. In addition, 168 individual trunnion repair plates were sized, fitted, milled, cold-worked, inspected and installed in the aircraft.

The team included civilians, active duty Airmen, Reservists and Air National Guard. The project was completed in a total of 39,737 hours (compared to a projected 68,142 hours) in two shifts working six days a week.