Parts in, parts out

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason McCasland
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  A single 2nd Logistic Readiness Squadron unit maintains an around-the-clock vigilance of more than $48 million in parts for the B-52H Stratofortress.

Airmen at the 2 LRS Aircraft Parts Store manage more than 700 items that are used for the B-52H and other aircraft.

"No parts means no flying," said Master Sgt. Madonna Turbyfill, 2 LRS APS NCO in charge. "We are the focal point for the maintenance squadron to receive parts, mail parts and obtain tires to fix the B-52H."

The APS Airmen work 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

"If the maintainers are here then we are, too," said Airman 1st Class Antoinette Jeter, 2 LRS APS apprentice. "The parts are needed to keep the aircraft flying and meet mission requirements."

Both the 96th and 20th Aircraft Maintenance Units use the APS.

"APS is vital to helping ensure the maintenance gets done faster," said Tech. Sgt. Charles Johnson, 96th AMU Electronic Warfare element chief. "It helps us as maintainers since they're here when we are."

With more than 700 parts on hand in the flightline warehouse, and the 24-hour shifts, the APS is ready to answer the maintainer's calls for parts for red-ball maintenance or emergency issue items.

A red-ball happens when an aircraft is sitting on the flightline ready to take off for the mission, but aircrews or maintenance crews discover something wrong. These high-priority problems have to be fixed prior to flight so the aircraft can complete the mission.

The APS stores classified and unclassified components, tires, bench stock and other parts. AMU's can call and order the parts they need and pick them up at the APS warehouse located on the flightline.

With its convenient location, parts are readily available to the maintainers so they can respond quickly to the different problems that come up at any given time, said Jeter.

The 20th AMU production superintendent's office agreed that the APS provides them with rapid responses to all part demands.

"We need it, and they have it," said Senior Master Sgt. Donald Simmons, 20th AMU lead production superintendent. "This is especially important when it comes to responding to red balls."

Not only does the APS support Barksdale's flightline,it's the focal point for part requests to and from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., as well as other Air Force bases in need of compatible parts.

"Other bases will call us to see if we have parts they need," said Turbyfill. "The parts we have keep planes mission capable to maintain the Air Force mission, as well as Barksdale's mission."

Without APS's around-the-clock shifts and more than 700 aircraft items, non-mission capable aircraft would have to sit on the flightline until parts arrived from the warehouse or manufacturers.

APS enables the mission of the 2nd Bomb Wing to protect the nation and its global interests with devastating B-52H combat capability, anytime and anywhere.