How Nondestructive Inspection Keeps Andersen AFB’s Aircraft Mission-Ready

At Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the 36th Maintenance Squadron’s Fabrication Flight blends permanent and deployed airmen to support the U.S. Pacific Command’s Theater Security Package and Continuous Bomber Presence.

Comprising nine permanent crew members and 34 deployable specialists—24 from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and 10 from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana—the flight is the sole on‑site repair hub for any aircraft that lands on the flightline.

“On average, we perform more than 1,600 dispatch repairs annually, ranging from a single rivet replacement to full‑skin overhauls,” says Master Sgt. Michael Bohanan, Fabrication Flight chief. “Without our expertise, a structural flaw could turn into a catastrophic failure for aircraft on station or en route.”

Bohanan highlights corrosion as the biggest challenge, citing the island’s humid, marine climate. “Every section—structural maintenance, metals technology, and nondestructive inspection—plays a critical role in keeping bombers, fighters, and naval aircraft air‑worthy.”

The nondestructive inspection section safeguards aircraft integrity through a variety of tests: joint‑oil analysis for engine contamination, magnetic‑particle, eddy‑current, dye‑penetrant, and X‑ray inspections to spot cracks and gouges in both aircraft and ground support equipment.

Since integrating permanent and deployed personnel in 2005, Bohanan has seen the flight evolve. “Leadership has driven this transformation,” he notes. “We’ve learned to blend temporary duty crews with home‑station staff to achieve seamless maintenance.”

Tech. Sgt. Brian Leonard, a structural maintenance craftsman, explains the benefit of integration. “The extra manpower lets us handle the increased workload from the Theater Security Package, Continuous Bomber Presence, and upcoming Global Hawk missions. Andersen is now a linchpin of the Pacific force.”

The structural maintenance and corrosion control section manages inspections, repairs, and corrosion removal for transient and deployed aircraft, as well as support equipment. “We’re a full paint and body shop,” Leonard says. “We can repair a crack, remove corrosion, and repaint a part to like‑new condition.”

Staff Sgt. Frank Ruckel, metals technology NCO from Elmendorf, emphasizes the flight’s role in preventing costly depot moves. “We machine parts—screws, bushings, even custom bath‑tub fittings—right here on Guam. That saves the Air Force money and keeps aircraft flying.”

Ruckel acknowledges supply challenges: “Materials can take weeks or months to arrive, unlike the continental U.S. We overcome this with alternate strategies, even if it takes a little longer.”

“Seeing a piece of metal transform into a part that’s installed on a mission‑ready aircraft, then watching it take off and return safely, is the most rewarding part of my job,” Ruckel says.

The flight operates on a 24/7 call schedule to guarantee a 100 % success rate for maintenance operations.

Deployed crew members from Elmendorf and Barksdale will complete their four‑month rotations and return home between September and October.