Face of Defense: Airman Advises Afghan Helicopter Maintainers

You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Face of Defense: Airman Advises Afghan Helicopter Maintainers 07/31/2013 09:19 AM CDT Face of Defense: Airman Advises Afghan Helicopter Maintainers By Air Force Senior Airman Torri Ingalsbe U.S. Air Forces Central KABUL, Afghanistan, July 31, 2013 - What do you get when you combine Afghan maintainers, American advisors, contractors and Russian helicopters? Air Force Master Sgt. William Hensley would tell you you'd get one of the most rapidly advancing mission sustainment capabilities in Afghanistan. Air Force Master Sgt. William Hensley speaks with Moosa Jan and Baqi Khan, Afghan air force maintenance commanders, during Mi-17 helicopter inspections at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, July 18, 2013. Hensley is on his second tour as an Mi-17 maintenance advisor. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ben Bloker (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The overall quality of maintenance, training and Afghan motivation has greatly increased," said Hensley, 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron intermediate maintenance inspection advisor, who is serving his second year-long rotation working with Afghan Mi-17 helicopter maintainers here in an advisory role. Three years ago, Hensley was a quality assurance advisor for the Afghan air force. He is deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and hails from Ravenna, Ohio. "When I was here before, I started the quality control [and] quality assurance process in place now," he explained. "The idea of quality assurance just wasn't here before." He emphasized the importance of quality-control programs in Afghanistan, as well as stateside. "The Afghans have accountability of the work they do," Hensley said. "They know someone will look at it, so they do the best work they can. It's no different than the QC process at home." The process has allowed for more Mi-17s to be available for missions supporting ground forces, casualty evacuation and supply movement, Hensley said. "We've established maintenance timelines as we've further developed the QC/QA process," he explained. "We're able to keep aircraft flowing in and out of the maintenance and QC schedule, so they're not all down at one time. This allows leadership to plan missions based on available aircraft." Hensley said he uses his previous deployment as a building block to train and mentor the Afghan maintainers. "About 85 percent of the Afghans remember working with me before," he said. "It allowed me to build on relationships I already had with them. That's a huge advantage when working in an advisory role." Hensley said he has an optimistic outlook for the future of the Afghan air force, and said he hopes to be able to see how much further they will come. "Progress is always going to be here," he said. "They are steadily improving all the time. I know they're going to get better, and maintenance is what they're doing the best. I would jump at the opportunity to come back." Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force U.S. Air Forces Central   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense