In-house modification solves flightline cart problem Published Sept. 24, 2010 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- If the 402nd Maintenance Support Squadron had a theme song, a good choice might be Devo's "Whip It," the lyrics of which say "When a problem comes along, you must whip it." That's the mentality embodied by the squadron, especially when it comes to safety and the Voluntary Protection Program. One example is when reports started circulating that 14 new Kawasaki Mules on the flightline had a blind spot. The vehicles are among the many small, golf cart-type vehicles the squadron maintains. Users were talking about near accidents with the new vehicle, complaining a corner bar in the cab is so wide it obstructs the driver's view of oncoming traffic. No one asked them to try to fix the problem, but several workers in the squadron put their heads together to find a solution. They came up with a modification which includes mounting convex mirrors on each side in front of the windshield, so drivers can look in the left-side mirror and check for traffic coming from the right and the right-side mirror and check for traffic coming from the left. They've installed the mirrors on one vehicle and are now installing them on the others. Equipment supervisor Diane Lawson said as soon as the near misses were reported, the squadron started working on a solution. Because the warranty limits modifications, it got permission from Kawasaki to make the change, which also included relocating one of the factory-installed side mirrors for better visibility, she explained. "This is just one example of many; our workers have made hundreds of changes like this," Squadron Deputy Director Steve Peavy said. "They take safety very seriously," he said. "This is the culture they have created among themselves."