Maintainers return to fighter, CSAR squadrons

[unhappycamper]

Maintainers return to fighter, CSAR squadrons
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 18, 2007 18:49:32 EST

Reversing what now amounts to a seven-year experiment, thousands of flight-line maintainers will leave their maintenance squadrons and again come under the control of flying squadrons in 2008. And although the new orders affect only fighter and combat search-and-rescue wings, similar changes could come to all wings — including mobility units — in 2009.

After months of discussions, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley gave the green light Dec. 7 to putting crew chiefs and weapons loaders back into fighter and combat search-and-rescue squadrons. The change, which will take effect between July and November. includes Guard and reserve wings.

Moseley also opened the door to moving crew chiefs from other types of aircraft, such as airlifters and bombers, out of maintenance squadrons and into flying squadrons.

Beyond flight-line maintenance, Moseley approved shifting logistics readiness squadrons and aerial port squadrons out of mission support groups and into a new version of a maintenance group called the “materiel group” by November. The move of the logistics and aerial port squadrons is Air Force-wide.

The change returns fighter and CSAR squadrons to how they were organized from the early 1990s until 2002, when then-Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper placed crew chiefs in maintenance squadrons and separate chains of command. Each maintenance squadron had a set of crew chiefs and others organized as aircraft maintenance units that focused on a single squadron’s needs.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/12/airforce_maintenance_reorganization_071218/