142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Fuge, a production assessment team (PAT) member from the 169th Maintenance Operation Flight at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., discusses ways to enhance local maintenance procedures with Senior Airman Gillian Monzon, a plans and scheduling specialist with the 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. on July 28, 2022. The PAT's mission is to explore ways to increase aircraft availability through the optimization of maintenance and supply practices and procedures. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)

142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Fuge, a production assessment team (PAT) member from the 169th Maintenance Operation Flight at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., discusses maintenance operations with Senior Airman Gillian Monzon, a plans and scheduling specialist with the 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. on July 28, 2022. The PAT's mission is to explore ways to increase aircraft availability through the optimization of maintenance and supply practices and procedures. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)

142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

Oregon Air National Guardsmen with the 142nd Wing attend a "Health of the Fleet" briefing alongside a U.S. Air National Guard Production Assessment Team (PAT) at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. on July 27, 2022. The PAT is in Portland supporting a production assessment of the 142nd Maintenance Group and 142nd Logistics Readiness Squadron in an effort to improve processess and increase readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Steven Conklin)

142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Fuge, left, production assessment team member from the 169th Maintenance Operations Flight at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., discusses processes with U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kendal Jackson, right, 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight plans and scheduling specialist at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Portland, Oregon on July 27, 2022. Fuge is in Portland supporting a production assessment of the 142nd Maintenance Group and 142nd Logistics Readiness Squadron in an effort to improve processess and increase readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Steven Conklin)

142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

142nd Wing leadership convene with the Production Assessment Team (PAT) at the beginning of an on-site survey during which the team will observe maintenance and logistics processes to determine effectiveness and offer solutions for improvement, July 26, 2022, Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. The PAT's mission is to explore ways to increase aircraft availability through the optimization of maintenance and supply practices and procedures. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)

142nd Wing hosts ANG's Production Assessment Team

Published Aug. 18, 2022
By Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer
142nd Wing/Public Affairs

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The 142nd Wing hosted a Production Assessment Team (PAT) from July 26-29, to explore ways to increase the number of aircraft, in this case, F-15 Eagles, available at any given time for training and combat missions.

The PAT's goal is to increase the number of aircraft a unit can bring to the fight by focusing on those aspects of readiness the wing can control. Thus, the PAT aims to enhance the quality and timeliness of aircraft repairs while ensuring smooth execution of scheduled maintenance.

This initiative is spearheaded by Brig. Gen. Donald K. Carpenter, Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, National Guard Bureau, Joint Base Andrews, Md., whose goal is to enhance the readiness of the Air National Guard's 81 flying wings by working to increase aircraft availability.

"Currently we (the Air National Guard) are not meeting the aircraft availability standard that we are being asked to meet," said Col. Brian McCullough, PAT leader and special assistant to the director, National Guard Bureau, Joint Base Andrews, Md. "Aircraft availability equals air power. When the Guard is tapped on the shoulder to do its business, we need to be ready."

The team, which is comprised of 13 Air National Guard staff and field-level experts, focused on the wing's maintenance and supply areas, observing operations and speaking to 142nd Wing maintainers and logistics experts. At the close of the week, the team provided comprehensive analyses and AFI-driven recommendations based on their findings. From here, the wing commander will review and set to implement the suggested changes.

"The Production Assessment Team came into Portland with an attitude of 'how can we help,' said Col. David Christensen, 142nd Maintenance Group commander. "These individuals are extremely knowledgeable in their specialties and focus on using their perspective and experience to find ways we can better execute our processes to generate combat power."

With a flying mission that encompasses the security of the Pacific Northwest skies, the need to optimize the unit's ability to defend and protect the state and country is acutely felt.

"There is no more important time in history than now," said Col. Todd Hofford, 142nd Wing commander. "We are all juggling a lot and for our wing and our enduring [Aerospace Control Alert] mission. We need to be ready. We need to be able to fight tonight and [the production assessment team] has helped us figure out what we need to get after."