CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
A group of Airmen on Charleston AFB completed 462 wheel and tire inspections during the month of October which broke the record for the base and the Air Force.
The 437th Maintenance Squadron Wheel and Tire Shop achieved the record by coming together as a team and using the challenge of completing that many tires as a "morale booster," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Weil, 437 MXS assistant NCO in charge of the wheel and tire shop.
Previously, in August of 2007, the Airmen had completed 460 tires, setting the first record for their shop and for the Air Force.
"We had this many tires in the shop before, but weren't able to finish [the job]," Sergeant Weil said. "But midway through [October], we saw the numbers of where we were at, and decided to push through."
The other Airmen who took part in achieving this record included Tech. Sgt. Eddie Melendez, Staff Sgt. Stephen Novak, Senior Airman Derrick Gonzales, Airmen 1st Class Kent Boatright, Casey Harrison and Joseph Dooley.
The 437 MXS Wheel and Tire Shop ensure crew chiefs have a steady supply of tires to be used on aircraft.
The Airmen from the shop not only supply tires to the Charleston AFB flightline, but the tires they work on go to aircraft in the U.S. Air Force European Command and to areas of responsibility in the U.S. Central Command.
The actual process of inspecting and cleaning a wheel takes about one-and-a-half hours for each tire from start to finish.
When the Airmen receive a tire, they inspect the tire for cracks and weathering and to make sure it can be used again. Then they pull the bearings from the wheel, and break the bead or seal between the tire and wheel, said Sergeant Weil. Once this is accomplished, the Airmen dissemble the wheel, or rim, from the tire. The bearings will go through a parts washer to be cleaned for re-use.
After washing the wheel, a member of the 437 MXS Non-destructive Inspection Flight will go to the wheel and tire shop to conduct an inspection of the wheel, he said.
This is an in-depth inspection for cracks that are not easily seen by the human eye.
Once all inspections are completed the Airmen will start to re-assemble the wheels. They start with packing the bearings in grease to lubricate the surfaces that move on the axles. This helps in preventing corrosion or damage when the bearings are in use, said Sergeant Weil.
After this, the wheels go to the build-up stand where a new tire is put on the wheel and the bolts and nuts on the wheel are tightened down. The wheel is aired up and put on a 24-hour leak check. Finally, the wheel goes through a seven-level inspection, or a final supervisory inspection to ensure proper assembly. If it passes this inspection, it is put into the supply room at the wheel and tire shop to be used by crew chiefs on the flightline, said Sergeant Weil.
In spite of the fact most of the Airmen were new to the shop, according to Tech. Sgt. Eddie Melendez, 437 MXS wheel and tire shop NCO in charge, they were still able to come together and reach this goal.
Maintenance leadership also sees the value in their accomplishment.
"We currently have eight Airmen working, in arguably, the busiest wheel and tire shop in the Air Force," said Maj. Sara Huiss, 437 MXS commander. "Their ability to build 462 tires in 21 work days on one shift is truly amazing, and every base downrange that has C-17 tires has the Charleston AFB wheel and tire team to thank. Their dedication to keeping the mission moving should be an inspiration for the entire wing."