BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. -- –
More than 20 years ago, the 940th Maintenance Group faced their first major move from Mather Air Force Base, Calif., just down the road to McClellan AFB, so they established three or four person "Tiger Teams" to maintain accountability for everything they moved with them.
In fact today, the 940th Air Refueling Wing is changing from its legacy KC-135R Stratotanker mission, flown by the unit for more than 30 years. As directed by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission of 2005, the Beale Reservists will transform to a classic associate unit partnered with the active duty for emerging missions like the high altitude surveillance and reconnaissance RQ-4 Global Hawk.
"There are no regulations that state how to draw down and close a unit, so it's left up to the unit people," said Chief Master Sgt. Stuart Bisland, superintendent of maintenance production.
Now, here, they are capturing that information one last time for their functional managers at 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., so other wings can use their processes as a benchmark.
Twenty-seven individual Tiger Teams have been set up for as many areas of concern, said the chief. Because the unit's full-time personnel are being hired out with the closing down of the maintenance and operations functions for the 940th ARW, each team includes a temporary rehire to provide continuity.
The team members use a standard inventory sheet that must be updated daily as equipment is identified, coded, counted, boxed up, transferred, turned in, or maintained in a historical file. Files on some items must be kept a minimum of six years.
Not everything is going to the same place, at the same time, which is why so many teams are necessary. Records are kept for each individual jet, according to Master Sgt. Julie Washburn and Mr. David Wilhite, 940th Maintenance Operations Flight plans and scheduling.
"All the permanent records, from the time the jet is built, until the time it is retired, stays with that jet," said Mr. Wilhite. "That includes the flying time, the inspections, and the Time Compliance Technical Orders (TCTOs) for modifications and upgrades."
"These jets were built between 1957 and 1963, so the engine records alone take up one entire box," said Sergeant Washburn.
All this information is stored in the maintenance database, Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance for Mobility Maintenance Management Information, or GO-81 for short, said Mr. Wilhite.
"We put the boxes of records on the respective jet, and when it arrives at Seymour Johnson, they can pull up any information in GO-81 immediately," he said.
Controlled items must be recorded on requisition disposition orders requested from their counterparts at Air Force Reserve Command, said Chief Bisland.
"We're working closely with AFRC to make sure items are staged properly and in approved staging boxes with the specific requirements met," he said. "So much of what is in our inventory is controlled by regulation, so we've always accounted for it this way, for many years."
To put it in perspective, the chief said they have more than 700 tools that are controlled, and twice that many to inventory, bag and tag. "We also have more than 1,800 types of bench stock that has to be treated the same way," he said. Bench stock are items replaced on a recurring basis, such as washers, small bolts, screws, sealant and safety wire.
Senior Master Sgt. Frank Carbullido, 940th Maintenance Squadron flight chief is managing not only the teams, but is assisting with accountability for the facilities. That means when the keys are turned over to the new owners - Global Hawk - that everything that belongs with the building is still intact.
"The Global Hawk is a different weapons system, so they cannot use much, if any, of the KC-135 equipment," he said. "But we can leave them office furniture and supplies, forms, and anything else they would like to have."
The base Traffic Management Office works closely with the teams to crate everything being shipped to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office, established in 1972 to consolidate the different military services' disposal operations. Excess property not reutilized, transferred or donated is sold to the public as surplus.
Compared to the 940th MXG, 940th Operations Group has a lot less to account for, according to Senior Master Sgt. Charisse Williamson, operations assistant.
"We've shipped a significant number of boxes of forms and various papers to our counterparts at 4th Air Force at March ARB for their use," she said.
"Our building, furniture and equipment are all new, and ready to be used by the new tenants. Our biggest job will be disposal of years of obsolete folders and papers, which will mean lots of shredding," Sergeant Williamson said with a laugh.
Whether going with the jets, staying with the facility, or being shipped to DRMO, everything must be completed by Sept. 30, when the 940th ARW will officially change missions and move from under 4th Air Force to 10th AF to complete the transition.
"This might be a bit easier than the last two moves," said Chief Bisland. "This time, we're packing it up for the final time, and turning it in."