New Depot Mx Process for C-17s

Technicians at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia last week produced the ALC’s first C-17 under a new multi-skill initiative process that officials say will reduce maintenance flow days. The first technicians trained under the initiative completed their required work a week ahead of schedule, about a 15 percent reduction in flow days and, according to ALC official Marian Fraley, the reduction will improve further as the team perfects its skills. Under the multi-skill process, one mechanic learns the skills necessary to complete a task that normally would have required two or three mechanics with different skill sets. On the just-completed C-17, the team combined eight different skills into three, grouping like functions like three electrical jobs into one. Fraley, deputy director of the 402nd Maintenance Wing, called it “the way of the future,” saying, too, “I think the people who volunteered for this program or were selected are excited about the possibility of learning new skills.” The first group of 40 mechanics who undertook the training in May are to start work on another C-17 this week and will be followed by another group of 40 will start in January, according to Mike Doubleday, deputy director of the wing’s 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The end game of this initiative, according to Doubleday, is competitive advantage in gaining and keeping a new workload like the C-17. (Robins AFB, Ga., report by Wayne Crenshaw)