Inspections key to Airdrop Success

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tim Chacon
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Attention to detail is something that is taught from the very beginning of Air Force training. The Airmen of the 62nd Operations Support Squadron, Joint Airdrop Inspectors office at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., are a prime example of why the hours spent folding socks in basic training matter.

They are responsible for inspecting every load that is airdropped from 62nd Airlift Wing aircraft. The bundles and pallets are checked, rechecked and checked again to ensure nothing is missed.

"If one tie wrong is wrong, it can result in a malfunction," said Tech Sgt. Robert Weinbrecht, joint airdrop inspector. "It can cost a lot of money. Each one of these platforms are more than $7,000."

The JAI shop handles a large amount of work, with a small amount of people. According to the JAI shop each platform varies in the number of ties, but some have more than 200.

"This shop has four people working double shifts twice a week, in addition to their normal [duties]," said Maj. Sean McConville, 62nd AW tactics director. "This is a very high pressure job. It only gets noticed if something goes wrong and if something goes wrong people are hurt and/or the people receiving the cargo don't get it."

The small amount of people does not stop the office from having a large impact on the mission the 62nd AW performs.

The reach of the JAI shop's work is seen all across the globe during training exercises and real world deployments.

"All this cargo, here in training the environment and on exercise and in the deployed environment is safe for the air crew to fly with and will work right when it comes time to drop it." said McConville.

"Take a look at the Kurdish resupply mission that just recently happened overseas, where we supplied more than 50-tons of ammo to Kurdish rebels. That was a McChord crew and the crew would not have the training necessary to do the drop if it was not for these guys loading that cargo up here," said McConville. "The success of that operation is a direct result of our joint air drop inspectors working around the clock in order to make sure that our training program here stays on its feet."

Minimal manning, zero room for error and high work volume of work is usually a recipe for disaster, but the 62ne AW JAI shop still excels despite the odds.

"Since the beginning of the year, as a shop we have done [more than] 736 air drop inspections. Both pre and post inspections," said Wienbrecht. "There has not been a single malfunction since I've been in the shop due to JAI or rigger error. All the malfunctions we have had had have been equipment related absolutely nothing to do with human error."

The Airmen of the JAI shop are all active duty Air Force, but inspect and train loads and crews for the Air Force Reserves and Army as well.

The combined experience and training of this office is a major contributing factor to their success. Most of them are trained and qualified air drop load masters and instructors who maintain their currencies.

"One of the leadership challenges I have, something I absolutely have to get right is figuring out what I can do to get these guys more people," said McConville. "So we are not leveraging our entire air drop training program on the shoulders of four people."