Schedulers meet to keep Galaxy aloft

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  • By Elsa Martinez
  • 433 AW
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Keeping the maintenance schedules from the various C-5A Galaxy units with their various capabilities in harmony with each other is a job as big as the aircraft itself.

Schedulers, maintainers, data analysts and other people involved in maintenance of C-5s meet regularly to map out schedules and plan better ways to plan.

The winter conference for the regional isochronal scheduling process happened here in late February at with strong representation from all C-5 units. Schedulers from all C-5 units -- active-duty, Reserve and Guard -- arrived to discuss their mutual challenges and dissimilar requirements.

The conference theme this year was "Come Together."

Conferees welcomed 433rd Airlift Wing commander Brig. Gen. John Fobian as he voiced his hope for RISO.

"We welcome whatever you can do to make our maintenance scheduling process work better for us," he said. Simply put, the RISO purpose is to improve aircraft availability by performing high-quality inspections, while reducing isochronal flow days, or the time the aircraft is in the inspection process.

Performing the inspections means delivery of safe, reliable aircraft to all owning units on schedule.

As part of many Total Force 720 initiatives to leverage aircraft maintenance efficiencies, RISO potentially realizes cost savings while increasing aircraft availability.

Cost savings happen by economizing scale and lean improvements: improving the process while cutting costs to perform process. This is achieved through Maintenance Steering Group-3, which was originated by commercial airlines in the 1960s to allow various maintenance schedules to mesh.

This year marked the Alamo Wing's debut as host for the semi-annual conference, said Technical Sgt. Ken Bueche, G081 analysis member for 433rd Maintenance Operations Squadron.

"We certainly fulfilled our themed concept of 'come together,'" Tech. Sgt. Bueche said. "In fact, in regards to scheduling, the participants worked relentlessly as a team. They accomplished in three hours some items that normally take one week." Reasons for attending were as varied as the schedulers present.

They all had the same goals of keeping their C-5s flying, properly maintained and in flying shape, without disrupting their respective and unique flying missions.

Robert Walker, C-5 weapons system manager from Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., had specific goals to gain from the conference.

"I came because C-5 schedulers collectively should be in agreement with the C-5 maintenance work flow process. C-5 availability across the board should improve for all of us, whether active-duty, Guard or Reserve," he said. Chief Master Sgt. Jeffery Jones, chief of management and processes and procedures for 22nd Air Force at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., echoed similar goals.

"I came here to make sure we take a good maintenance schedule and make it better through the RISO process, so that we meet compliance and still have availability of the aircraft for all our missions," he said. As the new maintenance flight commander at Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., Capt. Dusty Dossman had a fresher perspective on RISO and the conference's intent.

"I'm especially looking forward to the long-term, overall RISO impact," said Capt. Dossman. "The centralized planning cell is important to the enterprise, and this conference enables us to plan for our long-term goals. Not just for my unit, but as a process owner, and for AFRC, AMC, and the ANG. Buy-in from all levels is critical to making this Total Force initiative a success."

"I learned more than I thought I did," said William Charles, a maintenance/G081 analyst from the 436th Maintenance Operations Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Del. "I came to gain more insight into the MSG and RISO process to better and develop data integrity for the different bases. By getting better data to our respective commanders, we make better decisions for keeping all our birds maintained and on-schedule." Technical Sgt. Robert Sneed, a scheduler from Westover ARB, Mass., said, "Flexibility is the key to successful air power."

"A successful aircraft program resulting from efforts at this conference will continue to make the C-5 a national mission enabler," he added.

Staff Sgt. Albert Turner, NCOIC for the C-5 scheduling cell at Headquarters, Air Mobility Command, said the conference was "very productive. Through R-ISO, we're able to on the same page with our respective bases and by getting buy-in from all C-5 schedulers."

Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Rittwager, 433rd MOS superintendent and conference co-host, said, "It was truly a pleasure to be able to host the C-5 Enterprise Scheduling Conference this year at the Alamo Wing."

"As the C-5 Enterprise, composed of AMC, AFRC and ANG, comes together to outline our fiscal year 2011 C-5 aircraft inspection requirements, the professionalism of our Air Force total force partners defines the concept of teamwork. The message of the attendants here is loud and clear: realistic solutions to meet mission requirement of our joint force partners."

(Tech. Sgts. Ken Bueche, James Cavazos and Mark Henson of 433rd MOS contributed to this story.)