Kadena welcomes 718th AMXS maintainers home from deployment

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Angelique Perez
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  A group of maintainers from the 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron returned to Kadena Air Base from a 120-day deployment to Afghanistan this week. 

Working night and day at Bagram Air Base to save lives and support U.S. and coalition forces, the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit maintainers kept three HH-60 Pavehawk Combat Search and Rescue helicopters ready for rescue missions. 

"Our mission was medical evacuation - to come to the aid of wounded soldiers, whether they were Afghani, U.S. or Coalition forces and transport them from the site of injury to any available hospital to receive care," said Staff Sgt Michael Tice, 718th AMXS Communication Navigation Systems Specialist. 

Two of the three aircraft were on alert at all times with the other on standby. 

"Within 15-20 minutes of getting the rescue call, we had the bird ready for the aircrew to jump in and fly," said Sergeant Tice. "If something was broken, we fixed it as soon as we could and got the bird off the ground." 

During their four months in country, the 718th AMXS maintainers enabled helicopter crews to save 48 lives and conduct 23 medical evacuations during 340 missions that totaled 605 combat flight hours. 

"We supported other branches of service," said Sergeant Tice, "primarily the Army and they supported us right back. Not only with aircraft parts, but also when they couldn't take off, we would get the call and, no matter what, a bird was going up in the air to save someone." 

While there, the maintainers faced many of the same obstacles they regularly confront and overcome at home station - faulty gear boxes and equipment malfunctions, to name a few. However, since the stakes were higher, there was an increased sense of urgency. 

"In one instance, one of our birds broke down outside the wire, several crew chiefs responded to the damaged aircraft and repaired it very quickly and brought it back before they were compromised," said Sergeant Tice. "That's definitely not a situation you want to be caught in." 

Despite the multiple challenges they faced, the 718th AMXS maintainers were able to answer every call, allowing rescue crews to respond in time.

"If we got one save, that's one life saved and that's worth going on this deployment," said Sergeant Tice. 

"It is great to have the men and women of the 33rd AMU back safely," said Lt. Col. Kurt Kolch, Commander, 718th AMXS. "They represented this squadron and wing very well. They were simply amazing supporting the mission. I received glowing remarks from their deployed commander about their professionalism and mission accomplishment."

More maintenance personnel along with rescue crews and helicopters from the 33rd Rescue Squadron are scheduled to return to Kadena within the next week.