Pro Super

Photo By 1st Lt. Richard Longoria | U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Ron Garbarini overlooks the flightline March 14, 2013, at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany.  

NATO AIR BASE GEILENKIRCHEN, NW, GERMANY

03.14.2013

Story by Staff Sgt. Richard Longoria 

NATO E-3A Component

NATO AIR BASE GEILENKIRCHEN, Germany - Among the hustle and bustle of the flightline at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, one man stands alone.

Not quite a character out of a comic book but U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Ron Garbarini is more than just an ordinary man. When on duty, he is as mild-mannered as Clark Kent but as powerful as Superman.

As production supervisor for the E-3A Component’s Logistics Wing, Garbarini provides an overview of the entire flightline and is responsible for the management of all E-3A aircraft maintenance.

“I’m the eyes and ears outside,” stated the Branchville, N.J., native. “I have to keep oversight over everything.”

The production supervisor executes the Component commander's vision for daily flying and maintenance encompassing flying operations, more than 1,300 sorties, of 17 E-3A aircraft worth 5.6 billion dollars, which means the flightline can get hectic at times.

“The Pro Super manages the maintenance actions of 323 personnel from 17 nations,” explained Col. Paul Bell, the Logistics Wing commander “He makes an extreme challenge look easy by orchestrating the efforts of Operations, Supply and Maintenance into one integrated team. Garbarini, like our other outstanding Pro Supers, excels in this challenge every flying day.”

With a radio and a cell phone, Garbarini is constantly communicating with various Component personnel to ensure all aircraft maintenance production activities are completed in a timely manner.

“It can be very busy out here,” the senior NCO said. “I’m constantly driving up and down the flightline, going from jet to jet, making sure all the maintainers and technicians have the resources they need.”

Garbarani’s focus is to manage and prioritize all the work that needs to be done so the Component can meet its flying schedule.

“I’ve been here for about three years and I kind of know what to expect out here but there are days when something different pops up,” he said. “The challenge for me then becomes minimizing the effect those changes have on the flying schedule.”

Garbrani added that handling these issues is easy at times because the Component has civilians with 30 plus years of experience.

“They have a breadth of knowledge,” he explained. “Rarely do we come across a problem they haven’t seen before.”

This year, the Component is tasked to fly 8,700 hours. Planners at the Logistics Wing prepare the flying schedule well in advance but it’s the effort of the production supervisors, maintenance and supply professionals behind the scene, and the maintainers on the line who make the plan happen.

“We coordinate the flying and maintenance requirements for the E-3A fleet each week to ensure Ops' mission and training needs are supported,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Miguel Acevedo, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Plans Branch chief. “However, without Sergeant Garbarini, and the other production supervisors, handling the issues that come up on a weekly and daily basis, both on and off-station, the Component would be unable to meet its flying commitments.”

• Date Taken: 03.14.2013
• Date Posted: 03.20.2013 11:57
• Story ID: 103798
• Location: NATO AIR BASE GEILENKIRCHEN, NW, DE
• Hometown: BRANCHVILLE, NJ, US