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TF XII Apache Maintainers Crank Up Maintenance to Keep Up

By Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton

Task Force XII PAO, MND-B

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - It's a domino effect of sorts. A sudden spike in violence in Basra and Baghdad meant more Soldiers on the ground quickly found themselves involved in kinetic operations.

Kinetic operations on the ground meant more AH-64 attack helicopter pilots in the air. For a two-week period, the pilots of Task Force XII found themselves engaging enemy fighters with precision lethal force - and pushing their aircraft to the limits in the process.

"It's what we all expected coming to Iraq," said Lt. Col. Charles Bowery, brigade executive officer, and an Apache pilot who, like many other pilots, was pressed into flying more hours to sustain the increase in tempo. "I think the greatest strain (with the increased number of aircraft flying) is on the maintenance side of the house."

Pfc. Jemario Laurie (top), a Columbia, S.C., native, reaches for a tool to help reassemble an AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopter April 7. Laurie is an aviation maintainer assigned to Task Force XII's Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. He, along with his fellow maintainers, have been very busy in the past few weeks as more frequent attack helicopter missions in MND-B have led to more maintenance needs.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Little, TF XII PAO, MND-B)

The maintainers, working quietly in the shadows of a highly publicized flurry of activity, say they definitely feel the effects. And while the violence in the streets has quelled considerably, the effects of increased flight hours still linger in the aircraft hangars.

"We work two 12-hour shifts," said Pfc. Jemario Laurie, a Columbia, S.C., native, who serves as an aircraft maintainer with Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. "Usually, either in the morning or at night, the shifts kind of merge while we get caught up."

Most of the increased maintenance is routine for the aircraft. All helicopters have scheduled maintenance, but as the hours increase, so does the frequency of the schedule.

But like any vehicle, the more you fly a helicopter, the more likely it is that a part is going to need replacement.

"It's a different kind of maintenance," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Gunderson, a maintenance supervisor from Pasco, Wash. "These guys are used to preventive maintenance. It's changed some to actually fixing stuff."

Gunderson, also part of Troop T., 4-3 ACR, is on his third deployment to Iraq. He said he's used to the aircraft he's worked on seeing more action. The challenge for him, he said, has been getting the newer Soldiers ready during the relative calm in the months leading up to the spike of activity.

"The busier you get, the less time you have to talk to them about the importance of the work they do and the impact of what's happening," he said. "That's when we hope that what we've said before actually sank in."

Pfc. Jemario Laurie, an aviation maintainer, begins to reassemble a portion of an AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopter after replacing a transmission April 7. Laurie, a native of Columbia, S.C., and his fellow maintainers of Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, have averaged maintenance on two to three aircraft per 12-hour shift since a recent spike in violence in MND-B. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Little, TF XII PAO, MND-B)

The maintainers do take the time to look at the big picture. Every week, the troop commander and first sergeant brief the Soldiers to ensure they let the wrench-turners know exactly where these aircraft have been and what they've been doing. A quick glance at a dry-erase board in the hangar lets any member of the ground crews know how many missions their aircraft have flown and how many enemies were destroyed as a result.

"I'm very proud to have a part in the impact of these Apaches," said Laurie. "I'm still relatively new to the unit, so knowing that what I do is so important means a lot."

The dominos haven't stopped falling yet. For the time being, the tempo remains high as aerial weapons teams continue to patrol the skies over Baghdad.

The pilots insist that it's exactly what they expected. The maintainers say they're just as ready.