4th Combat Aviation Brigade Iron Eagles begin phase maintenance

Photo By Sgt. Sean Harriman | Sgt. James Gulledge discusses the maintenance requirements of the UH-60 Blackhawk with his maintenance team, Aug. 18 here. Gulledge, a Blackhawk mechanic with B Company, 404th aviation support battalion, 4th combat aviation brigade is working on the first phase of the first Blackhawk of 4th CAB's deployment.  

CAMP MARMAL, AFGHANISTAN

08.15.2010

Story by Sgt. Sean Harriman 

1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade ‘Iron Eagles’ inducted their first aircraft into phase maintenance, a UH-60 Blackhawk here Aug. 15, since the beginning of their deployment to Afghanistan.

Iron Eagle Blackhawks go through preventative maintenance inspections, or PMIs, after they have logged 360 flight hours.

“The engine is taken out,” said Sgt. James Gulledge, a Blackhawk mechanic in B Company, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade. “The only things left are the air frame and the wires.”

“We thoroughly inspect the aircraft from nose to tail,” said Gulledge.

Maintenance personnel work on the aircraft 24 hours every day until finished, which takes anywhere between 17 and 27 days.

Spc. Johnny Bagwell, a Blackhawk mechanic with B Company, 404th ASB, 4th CAB and the senior mechanic on the day shift, understands the importance of his job.

“Everything from the transmission to even the smallest bolt is important,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Reymundo “Hot Rod” Rodriguez, a Blackhawk section chief in B Company, 404th aviation support battalion, 4th combat aviation brigade stressed the critical nature of aviation mechanics.

“This [aviation] is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and these guys take pride in their work,” said Rodriguez. “You can’t just pull a helicopter over and park it if it breaks down,” he said.

“These guys know that they put the pilot’s safety in their hands,” said Rodriguez. “They are the unsung heroes of aviation.”

• Date Taken: 08.15.2010
• Date Posted: 10.12.2010 07:17
• Story ID: 57932
• Location: CAMP MARMAL, AF