Photo By Airman 1st Class Caleb Schellenberg | From left, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Dagger and Senior Airman Kole Gieseke, both...... read more read more
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DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – At Dyess Air Force Base, Airmen assigned to the 7th Maintenance Group are turning innovation into mission through the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program.
AFREP enables maintainers to repair parts that would otherwise be discarded, returning critical components to the supply system and improving aircraft availability across the B-1B Lancer fleet.
“As the B-1B Lancer ages, it becomes more difficult to source parts,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Thorell, 7th Bomb Wing AFREP manager. “What we do is identify parts that are labeled as non-serviceable and coded for disposal, then we either repair them in-house or send them to approved U.S. based repair facilities.”
Originally established in the early 1990s as “Gold Flag,” AFREP began as an effort to repair circuit cards rather than discard them. Today, the program has evolved into a force-wide capability that enhances self-sufficiency, sustains aging equipment and strengthens readiness.
At Dyess, AFREP has been in action for six years, delivering measurable results to the B-1 mission.
In the last year alone, the Dyess AFREP team generated $8.3 million in savings. One example includes an overwing fairing seal repaired for $4,000 and returned to the supply system with a value of $85,000, generating more than 20 times the repair cost in returned credit.
When repaired items are returned to the supply system in serviceable condition, units receive financial credit through the Project Fund Management Record accounts. Those funds are then reinvested into mission requirements across the wing.
According to the funding distribution policy, AFREP-generated funds are distributed to organizations supporting the B-1B mission, ensuring savings directly enhance readiness and operational capability.
“There’s not an aircraft on Dyess that we have not supplied parts for,” said Thorell. “Every aircraft flying the mission today has parts that we helped return to service.”
Beyond cost savings, AFREP reduces reliance on external supply chains and eases demand on the 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron, improving maintenance timelines and increasing mission capability.
“AFREP is unlike any other capability in the logistics enterprise,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Belew, 7th MXG senior enlisted leader. “It simultaneously returns critical assets to the warfighter and allows commanders to reallocate resources to improve readiness and quality of life for their Airmen.”
Through AFREP, Dyess Airmen are not only repairing parts, but they are also strengthening the mission, improving efficiency and ensuring combat capability remains ready at a moment’s notice.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2026 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 562374 |
| Location: | ABILENE, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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