Air Force Print News (March 10, 2007): Logistics officials discuss Stratotanker Sustainment.

RICHMOND, Va. -- "Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency partnership is critical to success."

That's the message Michele Rachie, deputy director of the 827th Aircraft Sustainment Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., focused on during her visit March 1.

Rachie met with members of Defense Supply Center Richmond's Aviation Customer Operations and Aviation Supplier Operations directorates to discuss KC-135 Stratotanker programmed depot maintenance supportability. During the morning session, Rachie briefed the DSCR team on the planning cycle for future programmed depot maintenance. She said her goal is to make sure that needed parts will be available for the maintainers to perform new work tasks at the four aircraft depot repair locations.

"The KC-135 celebrated its 50th birthday in September [2006]," Rachie said. While reaching that milestone is a testament to those who collectively work to sustain it, she said the ongoing mission is to "provide a healthy and effective fleet of KC-135 aircraft through 2040."

Air Mobility Command manages more than 490 KC-135 Stratotankers. The tankers provide aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. KC-135s also transport cargo and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations.

As the war on terrorism continues, actual flight hours on the KC-135 continue to exceed the original planned hours.

"We're replacing parts we didn't plan on replacing, so partnering with DLA is the key to future supportability," Rachie said. She added that she also wanted to explore joint actions to ensure supportability for new actions that will begin in October.

Lt. Col. Joe Edwards, chief of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center customer relationship management cell, discussed its role in providing streamlined customer support. That process includes facing the customer directly to identify, prioritize, validate, and implement actions necessary to improve support.

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"Our goal is to continuously improve asset supportability," said Edwards. "Consistent communication and collaboration are a key part of that effort. That means building the relationship by meeting the key personnel, reviewing the joint business processes, and by looking for ways to make the human communication enhance the data exchange used in the business system modernization process."

David Huguet, DLA KC-135 weapon system support manager, said DLA manages over 100,000 items of supply that support KC-135 aircraft operations, in the form of aircraft spares and piece parts for support equipment.

Because the average age of the aircraft is over 45 years, engineers continue to find new areas that need parts replaced due to wear, metal fatigue, and corrosion.

"We face many challenges maintaining data and procuring the necessary parts to keep this fleet operational for its critical mission. The Air Force recognizes the need to partner with DLA to help meet its mission objectives, while allowing DLA to execute effective material support when both sides don't have unlimited funds, said Huguet.

Huguet said DLA recognizes that being proactive on customer-forecasted requirements will minimize the need for time-consuming and expensive expedite work later. That requires collaboration and the necessity of working from a common set of focused metrics.

Another discussion centered on DLA support to the upcoming KC-135 flight control overhaul program.

"This joint effort will require DSCR Supplier Operations to increase buying activity on almost 2,000 national stock numbers needed for the repair shops to perform deep overhaul on 26 aircraft flight control surfaces," Huguet said. "This will reduce maintenance manhours and cost burden to meet critical Air Force aircraft availability improvement goals."

Bingham is chief, Defense Supply Center Richmond Public Affairs.