The CH-53 Sea Stallion and MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopters have been mainstays of the Navy and Marine Corps for many years. On any day, these heavy raise helicopters could be seen world wide performing all kinds of crucial missions.
Fleet Readiness Heart East (FRCE) ensures squadrons within the Navy and Marine Corps are outfitted with combat-ready helicopters by offering upkeep, overhaul and restore providers for the platform. To do that, FRCE employs a workforce of extremely expert civilian aviation upkeep professionals who carry out this usually complicated work. Working alongside these artisans is a small group of Marines who make up FRCE’s H-53 Army Department. These 4 Marines fill a crucial want in making certain fleet aviators have what they want, once they want it.
“That might not be a big group, however they play an outsized and pivotal function right here on the depot,” mentioned FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James Belmont. “The CH-53 and MH-53 helicopters are workhorses of the fleet and these Marines are instrumental in getting these plane out of the depot and again into the arms of the warfighter.”
FRCE’s H-53 Army Department consists of two pilots and two crew chiefs, who work with the plane from the time FRCE inducts it for service till they fly it again to the fleet.
The squadrons count on to obtain a succesful plane that’s prepared for rapid use, mentioned Capt. Ryan Boyer, FRCE’s H-53 Army Department head and CH-53 pilot. Boyer flew CH-53s with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 and whereas deployed as a part of the Unit Deployment Program previous to his task to FRCE. He has first-hand data of the significance of flight line readiness.
“A few of these plane are heading straight out to items which are happening Marine Expeditionary Units and deploying,” mentioned Boyer. “Different squadrons want plane that they will fly and practice on, so we’d like to have the ability to present a secure plane which are mission-ready.”
With a purpose to present the fleet with high quality and succesful plane, FRCE’s H-53 Army Department oversees a wide range of crucial capabilities, together with inspections and security checks performed throughout every section of the upkeep, overhaul and restore course of, and making certain artisans get hold of and preserve needed certifications and {qualifications}.
“There is no such thing as a verify or course of that we take a shortcut with on the depot,” mentioned Employees Sgt. Matthew Hotelling, FRCE’s H-53 Army Department deputy and CH-53 crew chief. “Each single course of must be precisely by the guide to make sure that we’re giving the squadron the perfect, most secure and most succesful plane. All through all phases of the method, we’re out checking the plane. We go in and speak to the artisans and earlier than it’s allowed to come back out to the road, we’ve got to go on the market and primarily look over the whole plane.”
Hotelling, whose previous assignments embody deployments all through U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, mentioned delivering a succesful, combat-ready plane to the fleet drives the staff at FRCE. Drawing on his personal expertise within the squadrons, he mentioned mission readiness within the fleet depends on plane the squadrons can rely on.
“Out within the fleet, the Marines and Sailors expect a top quality product from us,” mentioned Hotelling. “We’ve got to present them a top quality product they will belief. They will do their inspections, take it on the boat, and go wherever they should go along with complete confidence that it’ll carry out as we are saying it should. Offering a secure, efficient plane for the warfighter is what all of it actually boils all the way down to.”
In the midst of their duties, the Marines work intently with the depot’s civilian artisans. For Cpl. Devon Schoff, a CH-53 crew chief at FRCE, this was the primary time he had labored with such numerous civilians.
“Working with so many civilians was a bit unusual at first,” mentioned Schoff. “I labored with a handful at my final squadron, so I had some expertise working round civilians and contractors, however not on this scale. Right here at FRCE, it’s roughly 30 Marines to 4,000 civilians.”
Though civilian staff far outnumber FRCE’s uniformed personnel, many aren’t any stranger to the navy. Hotelling mentioned FRCE’s workforce contains numerous navy veterans, lots of whom labored on the identical plane throughout their time in uniform.
“One thing like 40% of the artisans we make use of are former navy,” mentioned Hotelling. “They convey to the desk this big selection of expertise. We’ve got individuals right here with 30, 40 and even 50 years of expertise engaged on a selected plane platform.”
Boyer mentioned working intently with this extremely expert and devoted workforce makes the customarily sophisticated strategy of getting an plane out to the fleet simpler.
“There’s a lot experience right here and there is so many various individuals which are all prepared that will help you,” mentioned Boyer. “I am solely a telephone name or two away from an engines, elements or manufacturing professional, and getting any solutions that I would like.”
This shut collaboration between the Marines and their civilian colleagues is crucial when fixing points that may come up when engaged on the plane. Hotelling mentioned engaged on the helicopters could be demanding, as no two are alike.
“These plane could be finicky,” mentioned Hotelling. “Each has its personal distinctive situation that we’ve got to work round. Determining that resolution with the artisans and with the pilots could be extraordinarily difficult, however it’s additionally essentially the most rewarding facet of the job.”
One other perform of the Marines working within the H-53 program is to function advocates for the fleet, Boyer added.
“We’re the fleet’s voice inside FRCE,” mentioned Boyer. “FRCE is a big machine. These artisans get the plane, break them down, restore them and put all of them again collectively. All through that whole course of, we’re right here to guarantee that the issues that have to get mounted for the fleet are getting mounted, and that we’re speaking with the fleet.”
As soon as upkeep, restore and overhaul processes are full, and all needed checks and inspections have been performed, the ultimate step for FRCE’s H-53 Army Department is the supply of the plane to the squadron. The plane is towed to the flight line, the place the H-53 Army Department works aspect by aspect with FRCE civilian artisans to conduct a useful verify flight. This determines whether or not an plane airframe, engine or engines, equipment, or tools is functioning in response to established requirements whereas the plane operates in its supposed setting
After the useful verify flight is accomplished, Boyer and Maj. Brittany Fayos, FRCE’s Rotary Wing Division deputy and a CH-53 pilot, will fly the plane to its squadron, with crew chiefs Hotelling and Schoff aboard.
The CH-53 and MH-53 helicopters leaving the depot go to each Navy and Marine Corps items within the jap half of the USA, the place pilots will fly them on missions starting from coaching flights to actual world operations. Based on Schoff, supporting the fleet on this scale is what makes an task to FRCE distinctive for Marines.
“I believe our mission at FRCE is particular,” mentioned Schoff. “There’s nothing else prefer it. Within the squadrons, the mission is to get flights out, practice new individuals and be able to combat. Our mission as Marines right here is to ensure the fleet has the plane to finish their warfighting mission. I really feel that being right here, I can help all my brothers and sisters in uniform.”
FRCE is North Carolina’s largest upkeep, restore, overhaul and technical providers supplier, with greater than 4,000 civilian, navy and contract staff. Its annual income exceeds $1 billion. The depot gives service to the fleet whereas functioning as an integral a part of the larger U.S. Navy; Naval Air Techniques Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Facilities.
Study extra at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.fb.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.
