JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The 437th Operations Support Squadron's Aircrew Flight Equipment has been named Air Mobility Command's 2014 Outstanding Aircrew Flight Equipment of the Year - Large Program.
"I'm extremely proud of our AFE team," said Lt. Col. Terry Tyree, 437th OSS commander. "They're entrusted to maintain and inspect life-saving equipment for our aircrews and they do it magnificently every day. From our AFE officer, down to our NCOs, civilians and our youngest Airmen, our AFE team takes great pride in getting things done 'by-the-book' while providing rock-solid customer service."
It's widely known that Joint Base Charleston is home to AMC's largest C-17 fleet; from Oct. 2013 to Sept. 2014, AFE supported 15,000 sorties, which transported 87,000 passengers and delivered 287 million pounds of cargo, maximizing the 437th Airlift Wing's global strategic airlift capability.
But not as widely known is AFE has also been assisting the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing as it shifts from the C-5 Galaxy to the C-17 Globemaster III. The 437th's OSS AFE has played a large role in building the partnership between AMC and the Air National Guard by instructing 260 tasks and certifying five technicians, ensuring the 167th AW makes a smooth transition to their new platform.
Maintaining the airdrop training program for the 437th AW is no small task. AFE aided 224 personnel, and supported 12 aircraft and 32 Joint Airborne and Air Transportability Training missions, boosting combat readiness for both the Air Force and Army.
As a stepping stone for the C-17 Addenda-A reconfiguration, AFE inspected and reconfigured the 52 C-17's assigned to JB Charleston. Airmen surveyed more than 3,500 pieces of equipment, paving the way for $1.8 million in savings.
AFE is also in the business of saving lives. Airmen submitted three lifesaving deficiency reports after identifying defects in manufactured equipment. By doing so, they were able to remove safety risks to both aircrews and aircraft.
Giving back to the Charleston community is also something AFE takes pride in. AFE Airmen volunteered more than 900 hours to organizations such as Airmen Against Drunk Driving, Habitat 4 Humanity, Special Olympics, the Joint Base Charleston Honor Guard and the annual Prisoners of War and Missing in Action events.
Needless to say, Tyree is proud of his entire AFE unit.
"Winning an AMC-level award reflects highly on their [Airmen] professionalism and commitment to excellence ... it can't be done alone, it's certainly a team effort," said Tyree. "Our AFE personnel, who work in the various 'specialized' back shops, don't always see the direct impact they have in enabling the mission. So, it's certainly a welcomed validation that what they do daily absolutely matters to the Joint Base and AMC."