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Keep ‘em flying: Eye on center’s Strategic Goal No. 1

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  "Meeting Customer Weapon System Availability Requirements" is no small undertaking. But, it is an ambition the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Aerospace Sustainment Directorate has a firm grasp on.

Also known as Strategic Goal No. 1 of the OC-ALC 2011 Strategic Plan, the directorate has tactics and programs in place to achieve the objective.

"The aircraft availability and readiness metrics or concepts in Strategic Goal No. 1 are the top-level way that we are graded and it shows our performance against what the warfighter expects," said Col. Mark Beierle, OC-ALC/GK director.

In late October, Maj. Gen. David Gillett, OC-ALC commander, introduced the strategic plan along with breakthrough performance areas. OC-ALC/GK's BPA is "Acquisition Performance," which is about planning for future aircraft PDM and engine repair, enhances the ALC's performance in Strategic Goal No. 1.

Because the strategic goals are unchanged from last year, Colonel Beierle said the directorate can focus its efforts on improving processes and making more strides.

"I think it's the right thing by keeping goal No. 1 and all four of the objectives the same," Colonel Beierle said. "If it's a strategic objective or strategic goal, then it should be stable from one year to the next."

Within this strategic goal, there are four objectives. They are: "Achieve Aircraft Availability Projections for Managed Weapons Systems," "Achieve Mission Capability Goal for Managed Weapon Systems," "Achieve War Readiness Engines Allocations" and "Achieve Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems and High Frequency Global Communication Operational Availability."

"They are just different ways to measure weapon system availability, but translated to the lingo for the different systems," the colonel said.

OC-ALC/GK manages an array of airframes, aircraft, engines and communication systems. The first objective, regarding aircraft availability projections, is for seven different airframes. The second objective, achieve mission capability, is for 24 aircraft. Achieve War Readiness Engines Allocations applies to the 23 different engine types. The fourth objective, ATCALS and HF global communication operational availability, applies to these two systems.

Each objective has its own programs. Within aircraft availability, Colonel Beierle said the directorate develops a plan to maintain or increase the number of aircraft available to the warfighter.

In fiscal 2010 out of the seven aircraft tracked by aircraft availability, four met their targets, one exceeded their target and two weapon systems were unable to attain the targets.

Process improvement is one way the directorate strives to meet their customers' weapon systems' expectations. From 2009 to 2010, there was a 36-day reduction in programmed depot maintenance flow days for the KC-135 Stratotanker. The reduction can be accredited to joint efforts of the 76th Maintenance Wing, OC-ALC/GK and other partners. Next, the directorate will work with the 76th MXW to re-examine the E-3 Sentry PDM flow.

"Another way we improve is literally go out and find bad actors," Colonel Beierle said, "which are systems that aren't doing what they should be doing."

A couple of examples can be found on the KC-10 Extender and KC-135, where the directorate will oversee the replacement of the fuel bladders. On the B-2 Spirit, the system support manager and system program manager have developed an alternative material to be used in the low-observable restoration of the aircraft. This new material reduces 68 percent of the LO tape which results in a 50-percent reduction in the amount of time field maintainers spend restoring the LO on this weapon system.

Achieving the goal and its objectives are not easy. Colonel Beierle said there are several challenges that can hinder the progress. Among them are resource constraints and the heavy operations tempo associated with being at war. Additionally, there are unknowns that can't be planned, such as bad weather including a hail storm or tornado to disable aircraft.

Although some of the challenges are fact of life or unknown, the directorate is forging ahead to meet those challenges.

Guiding our path to mission achievement, the directorate remains vigilant in accomplishing goal No. 1, "Meeting Customer Weapon System Availability Requirements" and its associated objectives.

"Aircraft availability and readiness is what we do and the directorate will continue to provide extraordinary warfighter support," Colonel Beierle said.