Mission Essential

Written by Amy Stark

MLF 2009 Volume: 3 Issue: 8 (September)

The center has worldwide engineering, sustainment and logistics management and maintenance support responsibilities for some of the Air Force’s most sophisticated weapon systems, including the Minuteman III and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles. The center is the Air Force Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for low-observable (stealth) aircraft structural composite materials and provides support for the B-2 Spirit multi-role bomber and F-22 Raptor.

Program management for two of the Air Force’s fighter aircraft is performed at this center. Approximately 200 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft receive depot maintenance, modification and repair annually. Additionally, about 100 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs receive depot level inspections, modifications and maintenance. The center also performs depot maintenance on the C-130 Hercules.

The center has responsibilities for depot-level overhaul and repair for all types of landing gear, wheels, brakes and tires and is the logistics manager for all conventional air munitions, solid propellants and explosive devices used throughout the Air Force. The center is the Air Force technical repair center for composites. In addition, the center provides a full range of sustainment and logistics support for space and command, control, communication and intelligence systems.

The center is responsible for mature and proven aircraft, as well as providing photonics imaging and reconnaissance equipment, aircraft and missile crew training devices, avionic, hydraulic, pneudraulic and radar components, instruments, gas turbine engines, power equipment systems, special-purpose vehicles, shelters, and software engineering, development and support.

309TH MAINTENANCE WING

The 309th Maintenance Wing is a world-renowned source of maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification for the F-22 Raptor, F-16, A-10 and C-130 aircraft, as well as the ICBM Minuteman missile system. The wing possesses a skilled work force of more than 7,600 military and civilian employees, 294 facilities covering 5.2 million square feet of production and support areas, and eight operating locations, including repair organizations in the Pacific and in Tucson, Ariz.

The 309th Maintenance Wing includes seven major business groups, each with formidable combinations of skilled technicians and strategic commercial relationships to successfully respond to customer needs.

In the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group (AMXG), more than 2,800 engineers, technicians and specialists perform aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul on A-10, C-130, F-16 and F-22 aircraft. Further, AMXG can manufacture or repair any type of aircraft composite part, including specialized materials for the B-2 and F-22 aircraft. AMXG’s active duty military unit, the 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron, operates a highly skilled aircraft battle or crashdamage repair program, deploying teams worldwide to perform heavy maintenance, modifications and contingency operations.

Nearly 1,700 engineers, technicians and specialists in the 309th Commodities Maintenance Group (CMXG) perform maintenance, repair and overhaul on various aircraft components, such as landing gear, wheels, brakes, hydraulics, armament, fuel accessories, gasturbine engines, auxiliary power units, gearboxes, starters and more. CMXG directs all metals processes (plating, flame spray, high-velocity oxygen fuel, etc.) on the installation, and operates the world’s largest aircraft landing gear overhaul facility, capable of handling systems from the smallest trainer to the largest cargo aircraft. CMXG is responsible for 70 percent of DoD landing gear systems.

The 309th Electronics Maintenance Group’s (EMXG) 1,000 engineers, technicians and specialists can successfully repair, overhaul, modify, fabricate, reverse engineer, inspect and maintain aircraft avionics, instrument, radar and generator systems. The group works on more than 1,600 different systems including various radars, antennas, navigation, weapons and laser guidance instruments; aircraft electrical generators; power supplies; night vision goggles; circuit cards; Heads Up displays and ground power equipment. EMXG calibrates and repairs all test, measurement and diagnostic equipment in the western United States and the Pacific Rim. One EMXG squadron, Support Center Pacific, is located in Okinawa, Japan, and it provides depot support to Pacific-based units supporting F-15, F-16, C-130, A-10 avionics, instruments and generators plus various AGE items.

More than 650 technicians and specialists in the 309th Missile Maintenance Group (MMXG) provide depot maintenance, repair, overhaul and testing for silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) systems, liquid and solid propellant fueled motors, air launched cruise missiles and advanced cruise missiles and associated components. MMXG supports field testing, evaluation and maintenance efforts in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah and California; performs maintenance and overhaul for missile transport and erector tractors and trailers; provides storage and transport, repairs shelters and containers throughout DoD; and provides worldwide, on-location maintenance for navigational, communication, and space systems antennas and radomes. MMXG plays a vital role in creating Missile Defense Agency targets and sustaining satellite launch programs.

In 2006, the 309th Software Maintenance Group was appraised at CMMI Level 5, the highest maturity level of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) engineering model of best practices, for complying with software development and sustainment standards. The group’s 700-plus engineers and technicians provide critical system updates for 14 types of military bombers, cargo planes, fighter jets and helicopters, Minuteman missiles, satellite systems such as MILSTAR, the Ground Theater Air Control System, the U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and others. SMXG’s expertise includes automatic test equipment, operational flight or ground software, mission planning systems, weapon systems software and engineering consulting services.

The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), located at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., is the single DoD manager for the receipt, storage, reclamation, regeneration and disposition of excess DoD and U.S. government aerospace assets. The group both regenerates and performs limited depot-level maintenance on fighter, attack, bomber and cargo aircraft from long-term storage to support DoD, U.S. civilian agency and foreign military sales customer requirements. The group provides direct support to U.S. and allied warfighters and other U.S. government agencies by preserving, storing and providing parts reclamation services from stored aircraft. AMARG is also the heavy bomber conversion and elimination site for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. AMARG preserves and stores more than $34 billion in aerospace assets and in 2006, reclaimed and shipped worldwide over 22,000 parts valued at $583 million.

508TH AEROSPACE SUSTAINMENT WING

The 508th Aerospace Sustainment Wing provides sustainment of existing systems, as well as the acquisition of new and improved aerospace capabilities. It serves all U.S. military services, civil agencies and numerous foreign countries. Support includes acquisition, modifications, modernization, engineering and technical support, as well as maintenance, repair and planning.

The ASW team directs, plans and manages the interface between domestic and foreign customers throughout the world. Programs include the F-16, A-10, T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, aerial targets, multiple mature and proven aircraft and training devices for nearly all aircraft in the Air Force inventory, as well as trainers for space systems control and air traffic control towers. The wing also conducts planning and preparation for the F/A-22 and F-35 Lighting II aircraft.

The 508th Aircraft Sustainment Group is responsible for F-16 system program management. The group delivers engineering, development, modification, sustainment, field technical maintenance and supply support to a worldwide fleet of more than 3,000 F-16 A/B/C/D fighter aircraft for units of the United States and 24 foreign nations. They also actively manage foreign military sales programs, aircraft regeneration activities and five different F-16 depot modification programs. The F-16 weapon system is recognized as the most complex sustainment program in DoD.

The 558th Aircraft Sustainment Group is responsible for the acquisition and sustainment for 12 different aircraft weapon systems and simulators/training devices supporting 18 weapon system platforms. Assigned management responsibilities include acquisition, modification, engineering, technical support, maintenance and repair, and CLS contract management. The group directs, plans, and manages the interface between the program offices in the group and domestic and foreign customers. Mature aircraft are those systems that are no longer in production but continue to be actively flown by the Air Force. Mature aircraft include the T-37 and T-38.

Proven aircraft are those systems that are out of production and not in the active U.S. Air Force inventory. They are primarily flown by foreign countries or U.S. agencies. Among the proven aircraft are the F-4, F-5, C-47 and others.

The 538th Aircraft Sustainment Group executes cost, schedule and performance of programs to sustain and improve the A-10 aircraft. Responsibilities include planning, programming and budgeting for modernization and structural upgrade programs. It provides total logistics support to operational flying units. The group also manages engineering and technical assistance for field units and maintains the A-10 technical data library.

The 508 ASW is home to the Advanced Fighter Support Office (AFSO), which supports the Air Force’s 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft, the F-22 and the F-35. Working closely with the product support integrator, the F-22 system support manager provides sustainment oversight for aircraft modifications and heavy maintenance as well as depot partnering activities. Additionally, the AFSO’s small cadre of F-35 personnel performs long-range depot maintenance planning and is responsible for myriad sustainment areas such as training systems, technical data, support equipment and the Autonomic Logistics Information System.

84TH COMBAT SUSTAINMENT WING

The 84th Combat Sustainment Wing provides the full scope of program management of weapon systems, resource management and planning. It provides system program manager and system support manager functions for multiple command, control, communication and intelligence (C3I) systems and air-to-surface munitions, including munitions supply chain management functions.

The 84th Combat Sustainment Group (CBSG) is responsible for C3I systems, subsystems, programs, projects and associated items valued at $12.4 billion. The group’s resources support acquisition and logistics functions, including engineering services, budget planning, and program execution, hardware and software depot-level maintenance. The 84 CBSG operates two squadrons providing direct support to the warfighter.

The 500th Combat Sustainment Squadron (Battle Management Squadron) consists of seven distinct mission areas. Atmospheric early warning systems provide air sovereignty and air defense command and control for North America. The ground theater air control system provides the JFACC the means to centrally plan, direct, command, control and coordinate the air campaign. The mission-planning systems provide automated mission-planning capability for aircraft and guided munitions. Power conditioning and continuation interfacing equipment provides uninterruptible power supply systems and battery backup. The tactical shelters/radomes/towers SPM serves as the Air Force single manager for rigid wall and expandable shelters, radomes and towers.

Telecommunications covers both the secure and non-secure Air Force telecommunications networks. And finally, weather systems sustain terrestrial weather observation and forecasting systems for DoD customers. The 501st Combat Sustainment Squadron (CBSS) (Range Threat Squadron) is responsible for three distinct product groups: range threat, air combat training systems and physiological trainers. They manage nine unique electronic warfare systems and have 197 systems deployed worldwide. The 501 CBSS mission is to increase combat effectiveness and aircrew survivability by providing a realistic electronic combat range environment for training, tactics development, and testing using threat emitters and electronic counter-measure analysis systems.

The 784th Combat Sustainment Group’s (Munitions) responsibilities range from aircraft egress systems, ammunition, explosive ordnance disposal and ground defense to guided bombs and missiles. The group manages air-to-ground precision munitions, cluster weapons, bombs, countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, small arms, medium-caliber bullets, containers, and various test sets, and determines requirements, acquisition, item management, engineering and technical support of all assigned items and components. It also supports foreign military sales of various munitions items. One of the key activities for the 784 CBSG is the AF Global Ammunition Control Point (AFGACP). The AFGACP provides management oversight (allocation, requirements, funding, distribution and transportation) for all air-to-ground munitions and manages standard air munitions package/standard tanks, racks, adaptors, pylon package, pre-positioned ammunition ships and global asset positioning.

Additionally, the 784 CBSG also operates two munitions squadrons: the 649th Munitions Squadron and the 651st Munitions Squadron, located at Lackland AFB Training Annex, Texas. These two squadrons receive, store, inspect, test and ship more than 29,000 munitions stock items in depot, base, Harvest standard air munitions packages/standard tanks, racks, adapters and pylon packages (STAMP/ STRAPP) in support of the USAF War Mobilization Plan. They provide war fighting commanders with aircraft munitions and weapons release equipment to meet all worldwide contingencies and exercises.

The 510th Combat Sustainment Squadron is responsible for the management and oversight of Ogden Air Logistics Center’s technical data management programs for technical manuals and engineering drawings, including their technical data asset management systems such as JCALS, CITOMS, and JEDMICS; their functional support activities and customer service centers; and SPOCO for deficiency reporting, investigation and resolution.

75TH AIR BASE WING

The 75th Air Base Wing, headquartered in Building 180, provides readiness and installation support for over 23,000 personnel in the Ogden Air Logistics Center’s four wings, the 388th Fighter Wing, the 419th Fighter Wing and 48 other associate units. The 75th Air Base Wing is responsible for mission support, civil engineering, medical, airfield operations, safety, finance, command post, explosive ordnance disposal and ground operations for the installation and the Utah Test and Training Range.

Airman dormitories are modern and comfortable; family quarters are spacious, airy and conveniently arranged. A modern shopping complex houses the Base Exchange, mini-mall and commissary. Other facilities include a bowling center, fitness center, clinics, chapel, museum, recreation center, officer and enlisted clubs, dining facilities and a child development center. Covering more than 6,650 acres, the base itself includes 228 miles of roads, 28 miles of railroads, 1,475 buildings and 11 aircraft hangars.

The 13,508-foot runway accommodates any aircraft in the Air Force inventory. In a typical year, locally based and transient aircraft will log more than 57,000 takeoffs and landings.

The administration and support functions are the 75th Medical Group, Building 570, handling medical and dental activities; 75th Operations Support Squadron, Building 1; 75th Civil Engineer Group, Building 15, including engineering, housing, fire protection, explosive ordnance disposal and readiness; and the 75th Mission Support Group, Building 180, including security forces, logistics readiness, education, family support, force support and the Airman Leadership School. ♦

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