More than 50 airmen from eight career fields join forces over an eight-day period to perform periodic inspections of the KC-135 tankers at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., reports SrA. Paul Croxon. Every one of the old tankers goes through such inspection every 15 months or 1,500 flight hours. Many of the airmen are apprentices who are learning the specifics of their trades after picking up the basics at technical school. They also learn “where they fit into the bigger maintenance picture” by working with other career fields, says TSgt. Shane Bushta with the 319th Maintenance Squadron at Grand Forks.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.