A group of soldiers standing in front of an airplane.
Left to right: TSgt Levi J. Lehfeldt, Aircraft Fuel Systems Section Chief; MSgt Tyler D. Miller, Aircraft Electrical and Environmental Section Chief; MSgt Gerardo Valdez Jr., Accessories Flight Chief; Capt Christopher W. Puckett, Accessories Flight Commander; SMSgt Griselda Z. Criddell, (former) Accessories Flight Superintendent; MSgt John W. Bennett, Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Section Chief; and SMSgt Joshua Boor, Accessories Flight Superintendent

AMC Director of Safety Aviation Maintenance Safety Award: 437TH Maintenance Squadron, Accessories Flight

By Staff Writer

437th Maintenance Squadron, Accessories Flight
Joint Base Charleston, SC

437th Maintenance Squadron, led by Major Ian F. Mazerski, Joint Base Charleston, SC, has won the 2021 Air Mobility Command (AMC) Director of Safety Aviation Maintenance Safety Award.

The team led 85 personnel for 64 Home Station Checks, corrected 425 pilot reported discrepancies, performed 4,000 maintenance actions, and keyed 9,000 missions, supporting 13,000 cargo tons and 28,000 flight hours.

They safeguarded 49,000 AMC Airmen with updated fleet standard operating procedures, revamped the fleet’s safety program, overhauled Job Safety Training Outlines, and aligned 14 action items with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, achieving zero defects when reviewed.

They partnered with Edwards Air Force Base, CA, to author a B-21 confined-space program and primed the Air Force’s newest bomber.

The squadron partnered with the AMC A4 Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection Directorate to develop the first entry plan, which was adopted fleetwide.

In liaison with Boeing, they led the Nose Wheel Steering Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) process and repaired 38 aircraft, averting further nose landing gear failures. They amended TCTOs, optimizing procedures and safety directives, reducing fleet downtime by 16,700 hours.

The team created a hydro filter cart model, eliminating lifting mishaps and earning them a Spark Tank 2021 nomination.

They resolved safety-of-flight concerns and coordinated a logistics team with the Tanker Airlift Control Center. The team recovered Air National Guard C-17s within 4 hours and resolved the vulnerabilities of 229 C-17s.

They maximized airfield operations, supported 96 mishap-free C-17 missions, transported 3,000 82d Airborne infantrymen, reseized Kabul International Airport, and evacuated 124,000 personnel.

As safety warriors for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, they scrutinized repeat cabin pressure in-flight emergencies, identified pilot checklist ambiguities, and avoided urgent technical order changes. Responding to the Secretary of Defense’s mission, the team keyed bilateral talks with the Afghan president and replaced a shorted fuels breaker to avoid an in-tank fire.

They liaised with Boeing, performing root cause analysis for recurring compressor fails, thereby increasing onboard inert gas generating system reliability.

They won the Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award and the Wing Airmen and Noncommissioned Officer Federal Employee of the Year for their training of first responders and conduction of fire suppression foam evacuation exercises.