3-159th ARB Highway Courtesy

It’s generally considered common courtesy to pull over and help out when you see a car on the side of the road with a flat tire. In 3rd Battalion 159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion’s host country, Germany, it’s even a law. So when the United States Air Force had a flat tire, so to speak, it’s no small wonder that the Soldiers of D Co., 3-159th ARB “pulled over” to help out.

In Nov., D Co. 3-159th ARB Soldiers SSG Tavarus Spikes, Maintenance Supervisor, SSG Jacob Snook, Back Shops Shift Leader, SPC Richard Lesslie, AH-64D Helicopter Repairer from Los Banos, CA, and PV2 John Brandone, Powertrain Repairer from Woods, IL, ran into a unique opportunity this month, when an Air Force C-130 aircraft broke down in Basrah, Iraq.

Stationed there as part of the Joint Helicopter Force (Iraq) mission with the British forces, these Soldiers maintain the AH-64D Apache helicopters that provide close air fire support and reconnaissance. 

While on shift, SSG Spikes was approached by an Air Force loadmaster with an unusual request. He came to find out that the landing struts were depressurized. The C-130 Hercules utilizes nitrogen in the struts that support the aircraft on the landing gears. If they lose pressure, the aircraft sits dangerously low, and there is a chance that the weight of the airframe may break the gear.

SSG Spikes agreed to help out the ailing cargo plane. 

“The whole bird sort of tilted to one side. We got under there to take a look, and I guess the crew chiefs did something. The whole bird looked like it was going to come down on top of us. We all scrambled in different directions,” SSG Spikes said.  “About ten minutes later everyone was out puffing their cigarettes to calm their nerves. But we got back down to it.”

The crew of four Soldiers discovered something that can only be described as serendipity. The C-130 can be serviced with the same fittings as the AH-64D Apache. Upon this discovery, the Soldiers got to work. After some research, some careful trials and about four hours, the job was done. The aircraft was back on its feet, pun intended.

3-159 maintainers consistently receive cross airframe experience due to the nature of the mission and the resources available, but this is the first time any of these Soldiers can claim to have worked with an Air Force airframe. Some might think to brag, but not these Soldiers. They were performing a common courtesy.
“We’re all one team, one fight, and we should always help each other out for the mission,” SSG Spikes said.
 
Written by Neil Dalson
D Co. 3-159 ARB Public Affairs Representative
7 Nov., 2008