Maintenance ridding aircraft of Battle Damage

Courtesy Photo | As a structural repair worker, Reaford, N.C., native Daniel Capers of Company D "Bone Crushers," 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, works on the skin of the aircraft to make sure it is ready to go into battle. The Bone Crushers work on everything ranging from the weapons systems to the airframe at all hours to maintain air support for coalition forces. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Nathan Hoskins, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)  

TAJI, IRAQ

03.15.2007

Courtesy Story

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By Capt. Peter Hathaway
1st ACB, 1st Cavalry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Upon completing a combat mission, an AH-64D Apache Attack Helicopter from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, returns home. The pilots completed a thorough, post-flight inspection when they discovered a small hole and some peeled back metal with jagged edges in the tail wing of the aircraft – evidence of a bullet hole. It was apparent that the aircraft had sustained battle damage.

Upon hearing the words "battle damage," the aircraft maintainers of Company D "Bone Crushers," 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment "First Attack," 1st ACB, got right to work. Their mission was to minimize the time the aircraft was out of the fight.

This event occurred Christmas Day 2006. The Bone Crushers rapidly repaired the bullet hole in the aircraft's tail, and the Apache was back in flight the next day.

"We're the ones that put "band-aids" on bullet holes and repair the stress on the air frame," said Reaford, N.C., native Daniel Capers, an aircraft structural repair worker from Co. D.

"Doing a repair on the aircraft like that can take a long time. It takes a pretty good team to get in there and knock all that out quickly," Capers said.

The Bone Crushers know their hard work is vital to keeping the Apaches in the air and, in turn, know how important airborne Apaches are to the ground forces, said Buffalo, N.Y., native Spc. Brett Bolt, an aircraft power plant mechanic for the Bone Crushers.

"The Apache is basically the infantry Soldier of the air. If our birds are down, that means (the troops on the ground) are not getting the help they need out there," said Bolt.

So the maintenance crews work hard to keep the aircraft mission capable. Maintenance and inspections are constantly completed in order to keep Apaches in the air.

If an aircraft is damaged and cannot fly back to the forward operating base (FOB), someone has to go to the helicopter. That is when the Downed Aircraft Recovery Team springs into action.

"They are like a quick reactionary force, but for the maintenance aspect. They are the ones that go out there and do battle damage repair – just enough to get (the helicopter) up in the air and right back home," Capers said.

The DART has flown to several FOBs in order to repair damaged aircraft. Each time, the team removed and reinstalled a main rotor blade in under an hour, quickly getting the aircraft back into the fight.

First Attack's Armament repair workers are also a busy group of maintainers. It is their responsibility to keep the weapons systems operational—a never-ending task. Without operational weapons an Apache is ineffective, said Wichita, Kan., native, Spc. Bret Gibson, an armament, avionics and electronics repair worker with the Bone Crushers.

In addition to repairing the systems, they ensure that expended ordnance and flares are rapidly replaced and that the aircraft is ready for another mission, he said.

• Date Taken: 03.15.2007
• Date Posted: 03.15.2007 13:08
• Story ID: 9455
• Location: TAJI, IQ