FOD prevention program supports tanker mission

Senior Airman Patrick Bartosavage, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron KC-46 equipment crew chief, Senior Airman Andrew Kruckman, 22nd AMXS assistant vehicle control officer, and Master Sgt. Erik Louviere, 22nd Maintenance Group FOD monitor, attach the base’s new dual FOD system to a truck Dec. 2, 2016, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. The equipment, which is valued at approximately $11,000, was recently purchased to support the base’s FOD prevention program and is used weekly to clear debris from the flightline. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Erin McClellan)

FOD prevention program supports tanker mission

A dual FOD system is dragged behind a truck Dec. 2, 2016, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. The equipment, which is valued at approximately $11,000, was recently purchased to support the base’s FOD prevention program and can be operated by one person. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Erin McClellan)

FOD prevention program supports tanker mission

Published Dec. 15, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Erin McClellan
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Believe it or not, something as simple as a stone could impede the tanker mission, but that’s why there’s an entire program in place here to prevent foreign object debris from interfering with aircraft and vehicles.

Each engine on a KC-135 Stratotanker is valued at $3.8 million. If FOD enters one of the engines or even punctures a tire, it could take the aircraft out of service, said Master Sgt. Erik Louviere, 22nd Maintenance Group FOD monitor.

McConnell’s FOD program aims to prevent accidents like this from happening by employing several methods to keep the flightline clean.

“We have scheduled FOD walks, we have the FOD magnet, which picks up metallic FOD, and we just received an $11,000 dual FOD system, which picks up everything from rocks to sand,” said Louviere. “The first week we [used the new system] I ran it myself and took the time to actually weigh everything. We picked up a total of 142 pounds [of debris].”

The new dual FOD system allows the MXG to expand the normal FOD walk area and cover territory normally left to the sweeper. The system and the FOD magnet are hooked to the back of a truck and dragged across the flightline. Each piece of equipment only requires one person to operate and is thorough, which saves a lot of time and manpower. However, weekly FOD walks are still necessary.

Every Monday morning, all available personnel from the 22nd MXG, including leadership, gather to walk the flightline and the rest of the maintenance complex to pick up FOD.

Winter operations make maintaining the FOD program even more important. Snow-removal equipment can leave debris behind, and solid pieces of snow and ice can become hazards as well.

“FOD walks, the magnet and the [new device] become more important during winter weather as snow and ice have the potential to cover or hide hazards,” said Louviere.

Due to the dedication of Airmen, McConnell’s program is effective at preventing aircraft issues.

“Here at McConnell, we’ve had zero FOD incidents for the last several years, and we try to maintain that,” said Louviere.