News

Maintainers take Air Force effectiveness award

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  • By Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Maintainers from the military's only unit that operates the E-8C Joint Surveillance Attack Radar System have earned a 2012 Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award.

Members of Robins' 116th and 461st Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons received the award for "outstanding contributions to the success of the Air Force and Department of Defense maintenance mission."

"It's truly an honor for our team to be recognized," said Lt. Col. Bobby Nash, 116th AMXS commander. "Maintainers juggled robust home station Ready Aircrew Program requirements and higher headquarters inspections while simultaneously delivering unprecedented aircraft generation rates that met the appetite of multiple combatant commanders."

Simply put, it's all about the people, both aircraft maintenance squadrons working side by side," added Lt. Col. Karen Bice, 461st AMXS commander.

During 2012, Team JSTARS supported six combatant commanders in five different areas of responsibility. The units launched 766 local and 1,033 deployed sorties, providing commanders with critical ground and maritime surveillance and command and control capability.

While deployed to support operations over Libya, Team JSTARS maintainers generated a perfect 141 of 141 tasked combat sorties; a 100 percent mission effectiveness rate recognized by Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, Air National Guard director, as "a feat so impressive, it may never again be duplicated."