Ready to drain

Airman 1st Class Evan Hughes, 721st Aerial Port Squadron fleet services specialist, begins draining the lavatory tanks of a Boeing 747 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 23, 2012. This process is accomplished on every aircraft in transit through Ramstein ensuring that every plane is cleaned prior to taking off again. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes.)

Hooking up the hose

Airman 1st Class Evan Hughes, 721st Aerial Port Squadron fleet services specialist, attaches the “blue juice” hose to rinse out the lavatory tank and to fill up the charge tank of a C-17 Globemaster III, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 23, 2012. This process is accomplished on every aircraft in transit through Ramstein ensuring that every plane is cleaned prior to taking off again. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes.)

Fleet Services reaches new heights

Published Feb. 28, 2012
By By Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The 721st Aerial Port Squadron Fleet Services Flight won its second straight Air Mobility Command Fleet Services Flight of the year award and won its third straight Air Mobility Operations Wing flight of the year, becoming the first flight to achieve both milestones.

Fleet services is responsible for servicing the latrines on all in-transit aircraft, providing meals to the aircraft for passengers and aircrew, and resupplies comfort items available on all aircraft.

"These awards reflect the hard work our Airmen do," said 2nd Lt. Bonnie Jo Lange, Fleet Services flight commander. "We are really the only flight that works with every aircraft that touches down here."

The Airmen of fleet services work on a variety of aircraft, each having a different routine to them.

"We work eight hour shifts, servicing a large amount of aircraft," said Airman 1st Class Evan Hughes, fleet services specialist. "We work on anything from the 37th Airlift Squadron's C-130J aircraft to the Boeing 747 commercial aircraft that come through."

"Getting to work with these different aircraft is a challenge, said Airman 1st class Cory Reinhardt, fleet services specialist. "Each one requires a different approach to the way we service it. You don't have to do as much on smaller distinguished visitor aircraft than you do to a C-5."

While off duty, the Airmen take the time to joke around or simply just talk to each other, leading to higher morale.

"We're a tight group," said Reinhardt. "We have quite the sense of humor about this job, which is good considering the type of work we do."

"These Airmen work hard every day," Lange said. "They have great morale, which is shown by their positive attitudes."