'Tiger Team' takes in-depth look at C-5 program
The Air Mobility Command and Air Force Materiel Command commanders have directed the formation of a Tiger Team to identify opportunities to improve the availability, reliability, and maintainability of the aircraft; all factors in the C-5's mission capability.
Air Force officials are quick to point out policies and processes -- not people -- are what they are aiming to improve.
"Let there be no question that this is about 'what' is wrong, and not about 'who' is wrong," said William Cromer, deputy director, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center C-5 System Program Office. "We have a critical mission weapon system that is extremely complex. The people are doing their very best. We need to make sure everything is optimized to help them."
If reversing a declining trend were simple, a simple approach would be used. Myriad factors have contributed to the trend, however. The team will attempt to delineate and place into context all of the issues, separating those within the Air Force's control from those beyond their control which must be considered.
Their approach will be to take a comprehensive, fresh look at governing policies, maintenance and repair procedures, and best practices by conducting field surveys at home stations and supporting depots. The team will identify problems, generate solutions, and make recommendations for long-term and short-term improvements, and also seek to develop performance measures that will support an integrated C-5 balanced scorecard.
Split into two groups that will deploy to a dozen bases in the U.S. during June and July, the team hopes to develop the most complete picture of the C-5 program ever with a focus on details in the areas of C-5 operations, maintenance, supply, sustainment, and logistics support.
The field operations sub-team, led by Col. Ken Higashihara , headquarters AMC, will visit home stations and operating locations to validate each unit's compliance with current Air Force, major command, and other regulatory instructions.
From both logistics and operational perspectives, the team will focus on the impact of compliance or non-compliance on mission capability, as well as any internal or external impediments caused by regulated processes or command-directed compliance.
The team also will evaluate the relationship of unit metrics and standards with mission capability. This comprehensive approach will enable the team to identify problems, generate solutions, and make recommendations for immediate and long-term improvement.
The depot operations sub-team, led by Col. Gary McCoy, headquarters AFMC, will be split into two sub teams: the depot production team and the program/supply chain management team.
Col. Jim Russell, HQ AMC, heads the depot production element, which will review both aircraft and commodity production issues.
The program/supply chain management team is led by Col. Louise DeWilder, HQ AFMC, and will review C-5 system program office program management issues as well as any supply chain management issues impacting any organization supporting the C-5 aircraft. This element of the Tiger Team will be seeking ways to improve Air Force, major command and any other supply management or contracting policies, instructions, or other guidance that impact C-5 support.
Senior team members emphasize that the Tiger Team will focus on "as is" processes for improvement and to encourage "outside the box" thinking. "Everyone agrees that we need to make some changes now that can give us significant benefits in the short term. That's the purpose of the Tiger Team," said Cromer. "Then we must carry their lessons onward toward continuing improvements in C-5 maintainability, reliability, and availability."
"With major modernization and re-engining projects approaching in the next several years," he continued, "what we implement now through this effort will help us move smoothly through those future phases without a dip in C-5 availability." (FROM AIR FORCE PRINT NEWS).
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