Falcon Brigade flight hours exceed 100,000

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

05.15.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Mills 

3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division

By Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Mills
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq - The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division surpassed a remarkable milestone, May 13, while deployed in Baghdad, having flown more than 100,000 flight hours in less than 12 months of combat.

The 3rd CAB reached this milestone while in support of Multi-National Division – Center and, most recently, providing attack helicopter support to Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

With unmanned aerial systems assigned to the 3rd CAB as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets for MND-C, the total flight hours for airframes surpassed 120,000 flight hours.

During the brigade's previous deployment in support of MND-B in 2005 they flew more than 80,000 flight hours in 12 months. The 3rd CAB is set to redeploy to Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., by August after completing a 15-month deployment.

Several factors have contributed to the 3rd CAB's ability to maintain this level of operational tempo, said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Arthur Gribensk, brigade aviation maintenance officer. Gribensk said the overall strategy was to ensure operations and maintenance were synched at every level.

"We looked at the OPTEMPO daily and projected out as far as we could to see what the impact would be to adjust fire now, rather than wait until it impacted maintenance," Gribensk said.

Forward looking, thinking and planning, coupled with integrating the civilian contractor work force with the Soldier maintainer work force was crucial, he added.

"That is imperative," he said. "Proactive, predictive maintenance planning working with operations as much as possible to minimize reactive maintenance."

Gribensk said keeping operations informed daily on the impact OPTEMPO has on maintenance capabilities is important so operations do not overfly the capabilities.

The 3rd CAB maximized the Soldier work force as its first priority, he said, then used civilian contractors to compensate for the deficit of manhours the high OPTEMPO required.

Besides maintenance and operations working together, supply planning played a big role as well.

As part of last summer's surge forces, the 3rd CAB didn't relieve a unit in place in the traditional sense. The parts and supplies system had to be created from scratch. The 3rd CAB used demand analysis established in Iraq and mirrored it as best it could, Gribensk said, in order to give an idea of what parts it needed on hand.

That effort allowed the 3rd CAB to meet and exceed the OPTEMPOs of other CABs in the shortest period of time, he said.

"It's a mutual effort," Gribensk said. "But it is ultimately our magnificent maintainers in this brigade."

The 3rd CAB executive officer, Lt. Col. Greg Kanicki, agreed, saying it was a total team effort, from the maintainers all the way to the operators.

"We've all played a part in facilitating the brigade's ability to operate at this high level," Kanicki said. "Additionally, we've levered the experience of our Soldiers with multiple deployments. We should be getting better if we are truly a 'learning organization.'"

To put this milestone into context, Gribensk said the normal OPTEMPO while training in the US is usually anywhere between 11 and 13 hours per airframe per month depending on the type of aircraft and the training mission requirements. Once deployed, the flight hours can be several times higher.

"For example," Gribensk said, "in (Iraq) the AH-64 surges to almost 90 hours per airframe per month, the Blackhawk to about 65 hours per airframe per month, the Chinook to almost 60 hours per airframe per month and the Kiowa to over 95 hours per airframe per month. This equates to 5 to 6 times the OPTEMPO in garrison."

Gribensk emphasized it was truly a "one team, one fight" effort.

"Ultimately, no matter the plan, it was our Soldiers and civilians that executed this program superbly," he said.

• Date Taken: 05.15.2008
• Date Posted: 05.15.2008 16:13
• Story ID: 19449
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ