When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation, the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, was already operating at reduced manning levels, with almost a quarter of the unit deployed. Social distancing and mitigation efforts to preserve the health of the remaining force cut that number in half.
Tasked with maintaining and servicing one of the largest C-130J fleets in the world, the squadron established a plan to safeguard airmen while simultaneously completing critical training and maintaining normal operations with heavily reduced manning.
“After airmen from our unit joined the 61st Airlift Squadron on a recent deployment, we were left with little over half of our team,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sam Bishop, 19th AMXS flightline expediter. “The airmen who stayed at home station were then split again due to COVID-19. Some are helping out by flying and performing scheduled maintenance while other groups are training.”
Devised by all levels of leadership within the squadron, the plan actively sought input and feedback from frontline airmen to ensure the new schedule ran smoothly and effectively.
“The plan put into place for our operations during COVID-19 was a collective collaboration between our leadership, senior [noncommissioned officers] and the lead technicians,” Bishop said. “Our leadership charged the lead technicians to figure out whether or not we can support this plan and gave ideas on the best way to move forward.”
Even amid a global pandemic, junior airmen still needed essential on-the-job training to better accomplish their assigned tasks in a safe and effective manner.
''One of our challenges was training our new airmen while maintaining operations with the manning we had,'' Bishop said. ''We have a lot of new personnel who are not yet qualified to work independently. The few people we do have, who are qualified, are having to train the airmen to get them up to par to help support the mission.''
Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Pearson, a production superintendent with the 19th AMXS, acknowledged that leadership within the squadron understood right away the importance of caring for their airmen more than ever due to possible isolation people may feel from COVID-related restrictions.
''It took some adapting at all levels,'' he said. ''We've been doing our best to try to accommodate and help everyone through the changes. That way we know their mind is in the game, and we are completing the mission safely.''
''General Giulio Douhet once famously stated, 'Flexibility is the key to air power,''' said Air Force Lt. Col. Donald Hudson, 19th AMXS commander. ''That's just what aircraft maintainers do, and that's when they're at their very best. They make it happen; and they absolutely make you proud when they not only figure out how to get past that challenge, but also improve upon how we actually execute that mission when faced with a challenge.''
(Air Force Airman 1st Class Jayden Ford is assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing.)