Turning the gears of war

Photo By Darriel Swatts | Spc. Tsvetan Tsvetanov of Delta Company, 8-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, attaches straps to the tail of an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter in a hangar on Camp Taji, Iraq.  

CAMP TAJI, IRAQ

04.18.2011

Story by Spc. Darriel Swatts 

40th Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Never a mission missed or a mission delayed due to maintenance, proudly state the mechanics of Delta Company, 8th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment “Flying Tigers”.

“It takes extremely long hours and a ton of dedication to keep these birds (helicopters) flying,” said Sgt. Scott Yoe, AH-64 Apache mechanic for the 8-229th Flying Tigers, while working on an Apache. “We all are perfectionists here, and because of that our pilots have yet to miss or be late for a mission since we arrived here in Iraq.”

The 8-229th is an Army Reserve unit from Fort Knox, Ky. currently stationed on Camp Taji, Iraq. The unit provides the “attack arm” for the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, which is deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn.

Staff Sgt. David Crockett, a quality control technical inspector for the 8-229th, said pilot safety is paramount. “If we miss something or get something wrong, it can end in a catastrophic failure for the pilots, and we never want that to happen.”

However, should something happen to the helicopter and the pilots have to put down for any reason, a Downed Aircraft Recovery Team is ready to take action.

“A downed aircraft doesn’t always mean it crashed or was shot down. It could be that the pilots had to put it on the ground for [some other] reason,” said Spc. Alfredo Galvan, AH-64 mechanic and DART team member for the 8-229th. “But in any case, should an Apache go down, my team’s job is to go out and secure the bird and its pilots.”

“Good maintenance and a vigilant eye help prevent downed aircraft,” Crockett said while inspecting the work of the mechanics.

“Any time work is done on the aircraft, I have to meticulously go through and check all the work to ensure it was done properly,” Crockett said. “I have the final say when the aircraft is done; and if I find something wrong, I show it to them and they fix it.”

The mechanics of the 8-229th break down the aircraft like a Lego set, inspecting every little piece for quality and serviceability, and then reassemble it.

“When we break the aircraft down, some of the things we look for are leaks, vibrations, broken/old parts and check the blades for wear and tear,” Galvan said. “All of the work we do helps keep the birds in the air; and in turn, they keep us safe while they’re out. I think that’s a fair trade.”

• Date Taken: 04.18.2011
• Date Posted: 05.02.2011 09:21
• Story ID: 69699
• Location: CAMP TAJI, IQ