Spangdahlem units break sortie record

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) -- Several squadrons got a chance to flex their muscle during a recent surge here March 6-10, setting a new daily record of 70 sorties and a total four-day record of 273 sorties.

The surge provided an opportunity for the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit, the 22nd Fighter Squadron, the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as well as several other units, to simulate the demands made on both the operations and maintenance Airmen when deploying to a combat zone.

“Our average daily sortie production is about 22 sorties,” said Chief Master Sgt. Darrin Dwyer, 52nd AMXS NCOIC. “This surge pushed the demand up to 66 sorties a day. This is a 300 percent increase.”

This increase pushed the operations tempo to a sun-up to sun-down flying schedule.

“A majority of squadron personnel have increased their work hours to 12-hour shifts,” said Lt. Col. Brian Neumann, 22nd FS director of operations. “For many of the young pilots in the squadron, this surge is the first time they have been tasked with such a demanding pace, and it will give them an incredible confidence boost if they are ever sent into combat operations.”

Creating a simulated combat operations tempo also gives maintainers a chance to produce sorties at a combat level in a controlled and friendly environment.

Sortie surges are a common practice for each flying squadron, but what makes this surge different are the magnitude and the record-breaking attempts.

“This surge has highlighted the true combat capability of the Stinger operations and AMU team,” said Colonel Neumann. “This is the largest surge to date conducted by a single squadron (here). None of this would have been possible without pristine planning and coordination between the operations scheduling and the AMU plans and schedules teams.”

A successful surge does not happen without a well coordinated team effort.

“The surge definitely means more work for the aerospace ground equipment team,” said Airman 1st Class Thomas Hribar, 52nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron AGE journeyman. “Sustaining this fast-paced tempo will test equipment reliability and will increase the amount of maintenance required on the equipment.”

On a normal day, an AGE dispatcher will make 30 to 40 deliveries for refueling and maintenance on the equipment. During the surge, the 52nd EMS made up to 90 deliveries per day.

“It takes a tremendous amount of work to provide the AMUs with reliable equipment,” said Airman Hribar. “There’s no air power without ground power.”

The Airmen worked out on the flightline for hours in the snow, rain and wind; dealing with duty days that extended beyond 12-hour shifts, with little breaks for food and rest.

“They (the Airmen) did this for an entire week and instead of tiring, they gained more confidence and energy each day,” said Chief Dwyer. “They ran from one broken jet to the next, tackling the challenges and overcoming the aircraft to make another sortie.”