FOD for thought: Are you doing your part to make a difference?

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Terri Barriere
  • 49th Fighter Wing Plans and Inspection office
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Though everyone's piece of the puzzle may be slightly different, completing the mission is Team Holloman's overall goal, which means keeping foreign object debris off the flight line is everyone's' responsibility. 

According to Master Sgt. John Bratton, 49th Fighter Wing FOD program prevention manager, as we transition from the F-117A to the F-22A keeping FOD off Holloman's flightline will become an increasingly more important task. 

"The mentality here is different than at other bases because we have the F-117," he said. "People become complacent because of the type of aircraft we have here, but we're trying to change that mentality before the F-22 arrives because it's a lot lower to the ground." 

According to the sergeant, more than 80 percent of FOD damage in Air Combat Command in 2006 was due to bad housekeeping practices and carelessness. 

"Everyone has a FOD responsibility," he said. "Anything you do on the base could potentially affect the FOD program. If it's a windy day and someone drops trash, it could very well end up on the flightline. It's not a maintenance issue, it's a whole base issue." 

Sergeant Bratton said even minor FOD incidents could cost upward of thousands of dollars once the F-22 arrives. 

The time is now to increase awareness. 

"Everyone needs to be aware when they throw away their trash ... secure it," he said. "Also, ensure you are checking your car when driving across the taxiway, and ensure your car is in good order; a ten cent screw could easily turn into $6 million worth of damage to an F-22 engine." 

"If there is anything that starts from the ground up, it's the FOD program," said Master Sgt. Michael Gann, 49th Fighter Wing Safety office. "Everyone must actively remove any sort of material from the path of aircraft or aircraft operations areas, regardless of the materials composition, even plastic bags. A plastic bag ingested by a jet engine could restrict cooling air passing through the blades. This could cause jet engine blades to fail due to heat build up from the blockage caused by the plastic bag. Little things mean a lot when it comes to FOD."

The FOD program, aimed at preventing aircraft damage or total loss of an aircraft, is run by Sergeant Bratton, the airfield managers and headed by the vice wing commander.
"Right now our program is meeting the requirements, but we're getting ready to take it above and beyond," Sergeant Bratton said. 

The FOD team uses heavy equipment to perform routine cleanups of the airfield, but that alone isn't enough, attention to detail is key. One person can make a big difference in the FOD program.