RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- In a small shop tucked away from the flightline is a small team of maintainers who play a major role in keeping the 86th Airlift Wing’s C-130J Super Hercules aerial fleet mission-ready.
The 86th Maintenance Squadron’s Wheel and Tire Shop builds wheel assemblies to replenish the Ramstein Supply System and serve flightline maintenance needs.
“We’re not on the flight line everyday, but what we do directly impacts every mission that leaves Ramstein,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Smith, 86th MXS noncommissioned officer in charge of the Wheel and Tire Shop. “Without our work, those aircraft wouldn’t have serviceable wheels to take off safely.”
A section of only four Airmen repairs an annual average of 136 aircraft wheels, supporting maintenance for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa operations.
Each wheel assembly removed from the C-130Js arrives at the shop for a complete teardown. The team deflates, dismantles, inspects and cleans every component before determining whether it can be safely reused.
“It’s busy, nonstop work,” said Senior Airman Jack Mueller, 86th MXS repair and reclamation journeyman. “The wheels come in dirty, covered in oil, mud and rubber, so we make them spotless before paint or rebuild happens. It’s dirty work, but we take pride in keeping the shop itself clean and organized. It’s a ‘clean as you go’ shop.”
If a wheel passes inspection, it is reassembled and pressure-tested overnight to ensure integrity and returned back to the U.S. Air Force supply system. Assemblies that fail inspection are removed from circulation, ensuring that unsafe parts never reach an aircraft.
Last year alone, the Wheel and Tire shop restored 67 wheel assemblies, valued at more that $1.5 million to the supply system. The team also identified 30 unserviceable wheels during inspection, preventing potentially dangerous components from returning to flight.
“We’re the filter that ensures only safe, airworthy assets make it back onto the aircraft,” Smith said. “It’s our responsibility to make old parts new again while maintaining the highest safety standards.”
The C-130J relies on both main and nose wheel assemblies for operations, each one must meet precise standards before returning to service. Through coordination with other maintenance sections such as non-destructive inspection, sheet metal and metals technology, the team ensures each part is fully mission-capable.
Their efforts also save the U.S. Air Force significant time and resources. Without Ramstein’s in-house capabilities, the wing would have to source wheel assemblies from other bases delaying missions by increasing transportation time and costs.
“We minimize downtime by keeping the process here on station,” Smith said. “ That means aircraft get what they need faster and the mission keeps moving.”
Each wheel the team restores supports not only the 86th Airlift Wing’s mission but also the readiness of USAFE-AFAFRICA operations across Europe and Africa.