MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- (Editor’s note: “We are The 908th” is a 16 part series, running biweekly, detailing the workings of the various units in the 908th Airlift Wing. This is part six, giving insight on the 908th Maintenance Group.)
The 908th Maintenance Group is the unit responsible for maintaining all nine of the 908th Airlift Wing’s C-130 aircraft. The group is the only maintenance organization stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base.
The 908th MXG is the echelon of command, and the conduit between, the 908th Airlift Wing and the group’s subordinate units; the 908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 908th Maintenance Squadron.
Commanded by Col. Gregory Halen, the group’s mission is to develop Airmen, manage the fleet and produce the sortie with a vision of being the best trained and equipped C-130 unit in the Air Force. The current priorities for the group are deployment preparation and execution.
The maintenance group has more than 310 members in and under its command, ranging from 210 traditional reservists down to a single Active/Guard Reserve member, all of which play a role in enabling the group to accomplish its mission. A vast majority of those members belong to the two squadrons under the group. The group has approximately 49 people that work directly for it, and 20 of them are fulltime members.
The nearly 50 members who work directly for the group can be found in 6 different sections including the commanders support staff section, the quality assurance section, and the Maintenance Operations Flight. The MOF includes the plans & scheduling section, the analysis section and the maintenance operations center.
According to Halen, the quality assurance section has, “experienced technicians that go and observe and or sample maintenance operations, processes, personnel and evaluate adherence to standards. They collect these findings, good and bad, and brief group and squadron leadership so we can detect adverse trends and take steps to improve them. We also discuss things we are doing well so we can continue to do so. All findings, good and bad, are forwarded to 22nd Air Force and Air Force Reserve Command and shared with other units so we can learn from each other. They also provide technical information to the group commander on impoundments, functional check flights, engineering assistance requests and other programs.”
The plans, scheduling and documentation section, “manages the overall health and care of the aircraft fleet by scheduling all periodic inspections, tracking all time compliance technical orders to completion, tracking the removal/replacement of time change items, maintain all required documentation for each aircraft as well as each engine,” explained Halen. “They also maintain electronic and paper documentation in accordance with all applicable guidance and provide input to ensure a healthy wing flying hour program.”
The analysis section, “tracks, analyzes and presents information to help senior leadership assess the health of the weapon systems and equipment,” said Halen. “They are the point of contact for maintenance information systems issues. They perform analyses to assess and improve unit performance.”
The maintenance operations center, “monitors and coordinates sortie generation, maintenance production and execution of the flying and maintenance schedules while maintaining visibility of fleet health indicators,” explained Halen. They also coordinate and communicates with agencies outside of maintenance like ops, the command post, fuels, the fire department, security forces, safety, and many others.”
The group has had quite a few recent accomplishments.
According to Halen, arguably the major accomplishment for 2021 is “the deployment of more than 80 members supporting three combatant commands across the globe.”
Another huge accomplishment was the fact that the group had “multiple safety TCTOs performed ahead of schedule while simultaneously tasked to prepare and send an out-of-cycle aircraft to the Middle East all while prepping for our deployment.”
The group also “improved our TBA training process, which is critical with legacy aircraft,” explained Halen. “We also improved upon our great working relationship with the 908th Operations Group helping aircrew reach their semi-annual training requirements well ahead of schedule.”
The next two parts of “We are The 908th,” will focus on the two squadrons that fall under the 908th Maintenance Group; the 908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 908th Maintenance Squadron.
Located at Maxwell Air Force Base and operating a fleet of nine C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft, the 908th is Alabama’s only Air Force Reserve wing. The wing has approximately 1,200 Reserve Citizen Airmen, serving in more than 20 career fields, with Air Reserve Technicians, civilian employees and Reservists on active duty tours conducting day-to-day operations. The 908th is currently executing the largest deployment in wing history, sending nearly 300 Airmen to locations around the globe.