3rd Wing maintenance unit stands up, supports C-130s

  • Published
  • By Luke Waack
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  One of the 3rd Wing's newest units has begun working in association with the Alaska Air National Guard in keeping with 2005 Base Closure and Realignment commission recommendations.

The 537th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 3rd Maintenance Group, 3rd Wing, is working side by side with the Alaska Air National Guard, 176th Wing to support airlift missions by the active-duty that span the globe.

"With the reserve associate, our Guard friends here are going to own all the airplanes," said Chief Master Sgt. William Holm, 537th AMU chief.

The 537th maintenance team will be working on approximately 16 C-130 aircraft to support flying operations for both the active duty 537th Airlift Squadron and the Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron, Holm said.

"The idea is that with the 537th AS utilizing the Guard resources we are going to augment the Guard's maintenance capability," Holm said.

One of the biggest benefits of the active-duty/National Guard association is experience, Holm said.

"There's one (National Guard Airman) who has been working on C-130s since 1975 and another guy who's been working on C-130s since 1978," Holm said. "The experience and training opportunities you get just can't be duplicated in the active duty world."

Several of the 537th AMU's new members were part of the active-duty 517th Airlift Squadron when it was still flying C-130s, Holm said.

Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Tonino, 537th AMU crew chief and New London, Conn. native, is one such Airman. He left the 517th AS and joined the 537th AMU in October and has helped with the re-organization of the unit.

"On a daily basis, I maintain, service and inspect the C-130s out there and make sure they're flying safely," Tonino said.

Tonino has been at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson since 2004 and has seven years of experience on C-130s during his 10 year Air Force career.

"Sergeant Tonino is very valuable for us because he was in the 517th when they had C-130s, so he brings a lot of significant corporate knowledge," Holm said.

Tonino has done a lot of the communication work and organizing for the unit's current 10 person staff, Holm said.

"As a unit's starting up, we have nothing," Holm said. "We don't have any recall rosters, we don't have any form 55s, we don't have any training checklists; basically, everything a normal unit has we didn't have."

Tonino and Senior Master Sgt. Brett Elledge were the nucleus the rest of the unit formed around, Holm said.

The 537th AMU's new working area will be in Hangar 18, on JBER, the former workspace for the 517th's C-130s. The C-130 is a popular airframe, Holm said.

"There's a cult following for C-130s," Holm said. "I can't tell you how many people I've had come up to me and say, 'hey, can I go up on the C-130?'"

With the 537th AS flying C-130 missions and the 537th AMU maintaining the airframes, C-130 fans should have no problem seeing more of the planes at JBER.