HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Members from the 49th Equipment Maintenance Squadron and 49th Civil Engineer Squadron performed overhead crane lift training on a UH-1N Huey, Feb. 19, 2020, here.
The Airmen conducted the training for the first time in order to be prepared for an emergency scenario in which an aircraft must be lifted manually. Having a non-serviceable aircraft available for training is a rare opportunity for Air Force bases anywhere.
“Training experiences like this are very few and hard to come by, normally you don't have an actual aircraft that you can practice with,” said Staff Sgt. Phillip Roehler, 49th EMS Crash Damaged Disabled Aircraft Recovery team lead. “The goal is to try not to damage the aircraft when transporting it, so that if there is an actual emergency like a crash or a mishap, the investigators can actually figure out what happened and why the incident occurred.”
The Airmen involved took advantage of the training, and built skills that will be needed in an emergency.
“In crash recovery we need to be prepared for every scenario,” said Tech Sgt. Hirania Lilliah, 49th EMS CDDAR noncommissioned officer in charge. “We rigged all of our equipment up one way, set it down and completed the lift. Then together we worked out some alternate methods to be able to do the same job.”
Working with different equipment was not the only way those involved benefitted from this training—the 49th EMS and 49th CES also became a more cohesive team, as a result becoming more prepared for a real-world scenario.
“(The training) was necessary because it strengthens the communication between us,” said Kirk Campbell, 49th CES heavy equipment operator. “When a real emergency happens there is no time to figure out a course of action. Practicing creates a safer environment in the event something really happens.”
During this exercise everyone involved gained a better understanding of skills needed for their role in emergency preparedness.
“The skills these guys are learning can 100 percent be taken with them to other bases,” said Lilliah. “The less experienced guys get a chance to see and prepare for what needs to be done in a real world scenario, and for the rest of us we are sharpening our skills to increase readiness.”