Pop the hood, vehicle maintenance is good

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexandra Singer
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In 2018, Hurricane Michael brought devastation and destruction to Tyndall Air Force Base, forcing units across base to adapt to limited manning and temporary facilities.

The 325th Vehicle Maintenance Flight’s operations changed after the storm, but they pushed through the challenges and came out a better team because of it.

“The majority of our buildings, equipment and vehicles were lost,” said Staff Sgt. Trecel Crawford, 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron specialized vehicle mechanic noncommissioned officer in charge.

The team lost more than facilities and supplies, only seven of the 30-plus member team remained after the storm. Logistics Airmen on temporary duty to Tyndall help fill the vacancies while they await permanent personnel.

“The influx of personnel from across the continental United States along with an environment that is ripe for innovating and thinking critically, has provided a unique opportunity for our unit to adopt different process and use our TDY personnel’s experiences at their home station to make things better,” Crawford said.

The storm brought the flight closer than ever, said Crawford. Their increased workload gave members experience in new jobs they’ve never worked before. The flight is tackling minor maintenance issues to return vehicles back to their units as quickly as possible.

“We are a strong team that can achieve anything,” said Tech. Sgt. Oliver Freche, 325th LRS vehicle management flight chief. “We encounter new challenges daily but nothing can get us down. Once we take care of one problem we are on to the next. No matter the obstacle, severity, or condition, we find a way to get it done.”

The team is excited for the future of vehicle management at Tyndall, said Crawford. “We take pride in setting the example of what hard work looks like, now we have the opportunity to also take pride in proving that a Category 5 like Hurricane Michael can’t stop the 325th Vehicle Management Flight.”