15 OSS helps ensure capability downrange

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii -- Staff Sgt Damon Marshburn, 15th Operations Support Squadron Aircrew Flight Equipment noncommissioned officer incharge of the oxygen and night vision goggles section, performs an inspection on NVGs here. (Courtesy photo)

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15 OSS helps ensure capability downrange

Published May 6, 2009
By Lt. Col. Lynn H. Winward
15th Operations Support Squadron Director of Operations

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii -- -- The 15th Operations Support Squadron is a diverse organization with 13 Air Force specialty codes and nine distinct flights. Requests for its services from airdrop support/scheduling, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape training, intelligence updates, weather forecasting, and airfield support frequently come from outside the 15th Airlift Wing and regularly cross Air Force and service lines in support of the overall PACOM theater mission.

Recently, the 15 OSS Aircrew Flight Equipment flight received a priority request from the Special Operations Command, Pacific, SOCPAC. The AFE flight inspects and maintains life sustaining equipment for aircrew and passengers including parachutes, helmets/oxygen masks, body armor, weapons, night vision goggles, life rafts, and life preservers. In March, SOCPAC needed to repair and inspect 12 used NVGs as soon as possible. The requirement originated from the need to field quality night vision capability to contracted helicopters that support Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P). The normal SOCPAC procurement method for providing night vision capability to these pilots in the past was no longer tenable, and SOCPAC staff analysis determined that the quickest way to put a quality night vision capability in their hands was to reuse the ANVIS-9 models that had been turned in to the supply system by another unit.

In less than a week, with only a few e-mails and phone calls for coordination, the AFE NVG section delivered operational NVGs. Each device required approximately one hour to inspect/repair. A few of them had missing and/or broken parts, and all needed to be thoroughly cleaned and re-calibrated to meet proper specification. All parts were sourced internally requiring no extra expense to SOCPAC.

Additionally, these NVGs were a different model from the type normally maintained in house by AFE, and technicians had to take extra time to modify the testing equipment and reference pertinent regulations to ensure compatibility.

AFE's dedication and professionalism provided outstanding support and according to SOCPAC, "The superb partnership between the 15th AW and SOCPAC ensured a quick maintenance turn-around on these night vision goggles which ultimately improve both safety and operational effectiveness for our pilots in the Republic of the Philippines."