Photo By Tech. Sgt. Rebecca M Perez | Tech. Sgts. Tyler Coy and Adam Gozdziewics guide the power divider into the Oshkosh...... read more read more
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This past April, the Vehicle Maintenance Shop of the 144th Fighter Wing undertook critical
maintenance on the most valuable firefighting vehicle on base, the Oshkosh Striker 1500.
The Striker is vital to the mission of the 144th FW due to its ability to engage in fire suppression
and fire rescue. The Striker also directly supports the wings’ role in the Air Defense alert
mission. It is available to respond to any aircraft emergency and is a specific requirement of the
alert mission.
“The Striker is the most versatile and the most important vehicle at the airport”, said Master Sgt.
Mark Crespo, Assistant Chief of Operations. “Without the Striker the alert mission would be
degraded, and if we’re being honest, it probably wouldn’t exist.”
The Striker is a specialized Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that is designed to respond
rapidly to airfield emergencies. The vehicle holds 1500-gallons of water, is equipped with two
turrets, and can inject Aqueous Film-Forming Foam into a water stream, which enhance fire
suppression capabilities. Another critical feature of the Striker is its ability to “Pump and Roll”
which allows the vehicle to move and spray water simultaneously.
The Striker needed repairs because the power divider’s spring coupling was failing. This
component allows simultaneous powering of both the transmission, which enables the vehicle to
change between gears, and the water pump, which allows the vehicle to spray water.
Traditionally, a repair of this magnitude would be contracted out to a civilian entity. However,
the vehicle maintenance shop was able to undertake the feat, saving the base tens of thousands of
dollars.
This repair was exceptionally challenging, requiring four vehicle maintainers, Tech. Sgt. Tyler
Coy, Tech. Sgt. Adam Gozdziewics, Staff Sgt. Kwaku Mensah, and Senior Airman Michael
Rangel Pina, to work on this singular vehicle. The four members of the vehicle maintenance
shop had to remove an 800lb cabinet, a 1300lb transmission, and a 675lb power divider. The
maintenance work included disconnecting 150 electrical lines, hydraulic lines, various
transmission lines and hoses. Over 300 nuts and bolts were removed and reinstalled, all with
varying torque specifications. The vehicle maintenance shop was able to complete all repairs on
the Striker in 40 labor hours, demonstrating their skill and efficiency.
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Coy, Fire Truck Maintenance NCOIC said, “This has been the largest and most
complex job for the Vehicle Maintenance shop to date. It’s also been the most rewarding. The
Striker is integral to our base mission. It’s a great source of pride for our office to be able to
repair this vehicle.”
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2025 17:41 |
| Story ID: | 498837 |
| Location: | FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Maintenance on the OshKosh Striker 1500, by TSgt Rebecca M Perez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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