Air mobility command: improving Aircraft maintenance recovery team processes.(Special Feature)

Introduction

The United States' (US) civilian and military leaders well recognize the need for speed in prosecuting military operations. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review places particular "emphasis on the ability to surge quickly to trouble spots across the globe." (1) This requirement is a testament to the position of America as the sole superpower, as well as a reflection of its willingness to engage around the world. Whether it's involved in a protracted military struggle, supporting other nations in pursuing democratic principles, or conducting humanitarian operations, the United States has the ability to quickly reach out and take the lead in world affairs. But speed is not the sole enabler of military power. In a 2001 speech, President George W. Bush noted that, "Military power is increasingly defined not by size and mass but by mobility and swiftness." (2)

The President's statement highlights that, in addition to bringing military capabilities swiftly to bear, the instruments themselves must be sufficiently mobile to make the transition from any starting location to any point of employment. Mobility of military assets is the responsibility of the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), whose stated mission is to "provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense (DoD), both in time of peace and time of war." (3) The Air Force plays a critical role in support of USTRANSCOM, defining rapid global mobility or, "the timely movement, positioning, and sustainment of military forces and capabilities through air and space, across the range of military operations," as a capability unique to the air service. (4) Air Mobility Command (AMC) and its airlift aircraft fill this role on behalf of the Air Force.

Given the significance of AMC's role in rapid global mobility--not just for the Air Force but for the entire DoD--the United States cannot afford to lose any of its strategic airlift capability. For research purposes, this article narrowly defines lost strategic airlift capability as any of the two aircraft types comprising AMC's strategic airlift fleet (namely the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III) that are broken and away from their station of assignment. To repair these aircraft when broken within the system, AMC currently utilizes a dedicated system of command and control, people, parts, and equipment--some of which are prepositioned, and some of which are available on an as-needed basis. Known as the Maintenance Recovery Team (MRT) process, the system emphasizes identifying, troubleshooting, and fixing broken aircraft as quickly as possible, in order to maximize strategic airlift availability to DoD and other airlift customers.

With this in mind, this article will discuss AMC's strategic airlift role, identify AMC's MRT process, analyze AMC's historical MRT data for specific improvement opportunities, and where possible, recommend improvements leading to an increase in the efficiency of AMC's MRT process.

Background

Air Mobility Command