Total force effort: five 'clicks' at a time

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  "Alright, five clicks. Ready, set, Go!" said Tech. Sgt. Anne Phillips, as she hollered commands to a team removing an engine from a KC-135 Stratotanker here.

The jet engine mechanic was supervising a total force team as they removed one of the KC-135 Stratotanker’s 8,000 pound F108 engines.

Removing an engine is routinely done in a deployed environment, so it was a rare treat for Citizen Airmen in the 931st Maintenance Squadron to take on the task during their April 12 unit training assembly.

Routine or not, the removal process is lengthy due to the complications of seating the engine to the trailer. A task typically that requires four Airmen; three to crank the chains that will raise the engine trailer to the engine, and one to supervise.

The engine removal was a total force effort between reserve and active duty jet engine mechanics. Tech. Sgt. Christopher Snyder, on active duty with the 22nd Maintenance Squadron, joined the removal to train with the reservists. This engine was being removed because of a leaking bearing air/oil seal on the aft side of the bearing housing, which requires the engine to be overhauled at the depot-level at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

Phillips carried a digital copy of the jet manual, as she directed Senior Airman Jonathon Greene, Airman 1st Class Austin Reeves and Snyder to keep track of level counts as the Airmen carefully cranked the chains closer to the engine...

"Alright, five clicks. Ready, set, GO!"

This process requires constant communication between the four Airmen, two stationed in the front of the engine, and one seated in the rear.

"The chains are strong, but if you put too much weight on one side the engine can easily break them," said Phillips.

For a while, the engine seemed to be "fighting" with the Airmen.

"I haven't seen an engine fight like this in five years," said Master Sgt. Glen Pearson, 931 AMXS jet engine mechanic. "The real trick is trying to keep each side of the trailer level while keeping each corner within 500 pounds of each other."

Fortunately for the Airmen, they were able to complete the task after a few hours, and quickly began prepping the replacement engine nearby. The damaged engine was wrapped and sent to the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group at Tinker. Upon arrival, that unit will disassemble, inspect, repair, re-assemble and perform diagnostic testing on the engine and its parts before it takes flight again, a process that can last approximately six to eight months.

Meanwhile, the newly replaced engine will ensure one of Team McConnell's more than 60 KC-135s is mission ready and continues to play a role in worldwide military operations.