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Maintenance leaders discuss challenges, future improvements

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78 ABW/PA
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Pentagon officials and leaders from maintenance depots across the Department of Defense attended a Peer-to-Peer Conference here earlier this week.

They gathered to discuss current issues facing the department's maintenance community, including what can be done to improve the efficiency of operations at major military maintenance hubs.

The conference "allows us to talk about critical issues so we can all understand where we are and put together strategies to best move forward," said John Johns, deputy assistant secretary of defense for maintenance.

Johns, who is responsible for the DoD's $90 billion maintenance program, said he can't predict the potential of another Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

That decision is up to Congress and the president, he said.

But, in years to come, coping with budget cuts will be a major test for the entire military, Johns acknowledged.

"I can tell you there is a very strong push for increased efficiencies," he said during a press conference with local media in the C-5 maintenance hangar. "Everyone can see the need to cut costs. The next several years will be very challenging."

Conference attendees spent time touring the flightline while they were here, learning about changes the local depot has implemented to improve production times in both the C-5 and C-130 areas.

One of those was Army Maj. Gen. Jim Rogers, commander, Army Aviation and Missile Command and Redstone Arsenal, Ala. He overseas two maintenance depots, although both are much smaller than Robins.

"It's been great to see the leaps and bounds they have made here to improve safety and production," said Rogers, who once served in Kuwait with Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander.

After the tour, the attendees reconvened at the Robins Conference Center, where they spent the afternoon in further discussions.

Johns said there are significant decisions to be made about how military maintenance will be done under future budget constraints. But, he noted they should not come at the expense of our nation's defense.

"We don't want to make decisions now that may look efficient and save money, yet jeopardize our long-term capability to support and sustain our military," Johns said.

He also noted the decisions will be only the first of many tough maintenance-related decisions the department will have to make.

"This is not a short-term issue we are facing," he said.