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File: 111396_aacvu_09.txtat the A-10 SPM level kept everyone up to date on the status of our aircraft. Direct phone calls with our deployed engineers also allowed us to be proactive in responding to the needs of our number one customer. As a result, we helped source over 100 percent of the deployed kit requirements and helped maintained an incredible fully mission capable rate. The aircraft operations measured in mission capability showed the A/OA-10 in the 90 plus percent range since its arrival in the AOR and that it maintained those impressive mission capable rates throughout the entire Desert Storm operation. AIRCRAFT BATTLE DAMAGE REPAIR (ABDR} Several ABDR teams were dispatched to Desert Shield/Storm. Their support was historic in nature in that this was the first actual war time battle damage suffered by our A-10 aircraft. Initial training for the ABDR team took place at Davis Monthan AFB AZ, and then on to England AFB, LA. During the next three weeks, they developed TIGER teams to assist in solving problems, They then integrated into the 23 TFW for deployment. Once deployed, they were tasked to develop a specific ABDR plan and dig-in to their new home. By 13 Jan 91 they were ready for war. On the 17th day of January, the first A-10 took off at 0400 hrs. The planes flew multiple sorties throughout the day. Only two aircraft received minor damage on the first day. The first A-10 lost in Desert Storm happened on day seven- teen. On day forty-two of the war we lost our sixth and last A-10. The pilot was attempting to land a severely battle damaged aircraft at one of the Forward Operating Locations (FOL's). The plane had no control surface movements, and had lost all hydraulic controls for landing. The pilot misjudged his approach and landed about 50 yards short of the runway), bounced, and lost control of the aircraft and cartwheeled down the runway. The aircraft was totally destroyed. By all accounts, the A-10 aircraft - did a superb job. It took a tremendous pounding on several occasions and managed to limp back to its home station airfield for repair. In nearly all cases, the ABDR Engineers and field maintenance personnel were able to repair the aircraft and return them to battle. You couldn't get a better success story. SM-ALC/LAW Managed the Aircraft Management Directorate's Battle Staff. Battle staff managed the surge of all A-10 and F-lll replacement parts as well as the B-52 spoilers repaired by our directorate. Also processed all the surge requests going outside the directorate, whether to other directorates on McClellan AFB or to the other ALCs. This insured quick response to the requests of item managers as they responded to the needs of our troops in SWA. Provided 24 hour-a-day support for LAB's acceleration of F-lllF aircraft. . . . 2951CLSS Personnel of the 2951st Combat Logistics Support Squadron repaired 18 battle damaged aircraft--three aircraft more than once. Returned three severely damaged A-10 aircraft to service by replacing a center wing section, replacing two right wings, and replacing a horizontal and two vertical stabilizers. Repaired 40 aircraft which had suffered self-inflected damage. Repaired with out benefit of a copy of the repair manual an F-16C aircraft which had been damaged by surface to air missile so that it could make a one-time flight to Hill AFR, Utah. Performed more than 9,000 ABDR inspections. Supported two forward operating locations for approxi- mately 150 A-10 aircraft. Three of the CLSS personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia in the early stages of Desert Shield spent three days at the main A-10 operating location before being rede- ployed. They brought photographs and a wealth of information about what to take when the squadron finally deployed. Immediately after returning to McClellan AFB, a 8
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