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Fairchild Airmen ‘get it done’ in harsh conditions

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janelle Patiño
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  No matter the extremes in weather, Fairchild's 92nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen work 24 hours a day, seven days a week - even on holidays, birthdays or any other special occasions in order to ensure mission essential operations continue.

"I feel these 92nd Maintenance Group Airmen are some of the hardest working and most dedicated Airmen I have known," said Senior Master Sgt. Lester Gaither, 92nd AMXS assistant superintendent. "Even when the base shuts down due to bad weather, the Airmen of AMXS are a part of the mission-essential group that are still here while many go home."

Working in extreme temperatures, including heavy snowfall and -30 degrees wind chill factors, creates both safety and operational challenges the unit plans for in order to overcome.

"It definitely is challenging for us. The weather can push our Airmen and our equipment to its limits," said Gaither. "It is only through proper management that we prevent waste and injuries while ensuring on time take-offs."

Safety is always a priority in the workplace. Due to the extreme cold temperatures, the unit employs proper precautions so that Airmen receive proper rest and prevent frost bite and other cold weather injuries.

"With these cold weather work rest cycles, it impacts our manpower significantly," Gaither said. "Half of our manning is used at a time so we can keep the mission going nonstop and ensure we have proper manning without causing cold weather injuries."

Different weather conditions, such as snow and cold temperatures, have their own associated hazards.

According to Gaither, with extreme temperatures, they don't have much snow-fall, but they do have a higher chance of hypothermia, frost nip, frost bite and injuries due to the metal on the aircraft being so cold. With snow, we have the extra work of getting the snow off of the aircraft and the physical labor required to get it off to allow the on-time launches, all the while watching for increased slipping hazards, and of course cold weather injuries due to the cold weather gear getting soaked, preventing good insulation.

In order to support maintenance Airmen, base leaders visit often to help maintain morale. Chaplain (Capt.) Jeffrey Solheim, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, and other members from the base chapel regularly hand out hot chocolate and snacks to Airmen on the flightline.

"Visits like these go a long way," said Gaither. "It lets the Airmen know the rest of the base knows what they do and they care. Just having that interaction goes a long way to build morale on such a bitterly cold day."