USAF Junk buddies

[BLUEHAWK]

AETCNS 062805121

Tyndall Airmen prove it's worth fixing one man's trash to save Air Force thousands

By 1st Lt. Albert Bosco
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

" TYNDALL AFB, Fla. (AETCNS) -- One man's trash may be another man's treasure, and the saying brings a whole new meaning for a small group of Airmen who run the 325th Fighter Wing's Air Force Repair Enhancement Program here, formerly Gold Flag.

Hidden away in a small office on the Tyndall AFB flightline, a six-person team from various specialties, such as avionics, electro-environmental and supply, collects and repairs miscellaneous aircraft parts, electronics and almost anything else people might ordinarily throw away once it breaks.

It may be hard to believe, but collecting trash and then fixing it saves the Air Force a lot of money. In fact, in fiscal year 2004, the team saved Tyndall and the Air Force about $600,000.

"Our job is to repair parts that the Air Force would otherwise have to either buy new from the manufacturer or find a similar off-the-shelf item," said Master Sgt. Daniel Jones, Tyndall's AFREP manager. "Every Air Force Base has a similar program."

Sergeant Jones said the program focuses on cost avoidance, which in some cases can mean a huge dollar savings to the base and the Air Force, as well as saving time and retaining mission capability.

"Some of the things we fix on a regular basis are the 8 mm cameras and event markers on F-15 Eagles, circuit boards, and flameholders for the F-15's engines," Sergeant Jones said.

The amount of money saved is huge when compared to having to buy the parts new.

In some cases, as is with the cameras, they are no longer manufactured, he added.

"The cameras cost about $700 when we could get them new, Sergeant Jones said. "But since they aren't available anymore, we found a contractor who is willing to repair the cameras for us for free and even offer a warranty.

"What we primarily do, and what we really like doing, is fixing things people can't get anywhere else," he added. "If they don't get it from us, where are they going to go?"

But saving $700 on each camera is little compared to the savings the wing reaps from the event markers the shop repairs.

"The event markers are used to record head's up display information as well as the pilot's voice during engagements," said Tech. Sgt. John Goerke, also an AFREP manager. "When they quit working, it costs about $38,000 for a new one. We discovered it's the same thing that breaks in them, and we can get the parts to repair them for under $5."

And the savings don't stop there. In fact, one of the shop's highlights is its aircraft video tape recorder mock-up test bench, which allows the technicians to test repaired equipment right in the shop.

"Being able to test these in the shop is huge, since it would be really hard and time consuming to take the recorders out to an aircraft," Sergeant Jones said. "The process would impact the flying mission, so that isn't likely to happen."

But, Sergeant Goerke was quick to add the unit can't just find things to repair for the sake of repairing them. There are strict guidelines in place to prevent overloading of the supply system.

"We have to use what's on the supply shelves first before we can start fixing broken items," Sergeant Goerke said. "But, if there is an immediate demand for a part, we can jump on it and make sure one gets done."

Sergeant Jones compares the program to running a business.

"It's all about being a business man," he said. "It's like running a business because we have to solicit for customers, not only from the maintenance group, but from every organization on base so they'll send us stuff we can fix."

The sergeant added that the shop has fixed overhead projection systems, display face plates and even a plasma screen TV.

Fixing what some may call junk is a great experience for people like Staff Sgt. Colby Sydnor, an AFREP technician.

"There's such a sense of accomplishment fixing things," he said. "I used to take stuff apart as a kid, and this is just like that only on a much bigger level."