DETing Out to Sea – One Last “Oh By the Way…”

By LT Kevin “Speshal K” Schwind, USN

Helicopter squadrons and their teams of aircrew and maintainers have been flying out to sea for decades. A squadron’s ability to divide its resources into Detachments (DETs), embark them aboard naval surface vessels, and operate as an extension of the ship’s weapon system is perhaps the community’s greatest asset to the Navy. However, if embarking teams onboard naval vessels is our primary purpose, then why is it so difficult to accomplish every time we got out to sea? Whether it is a seasoned Maintenance Chief or Officer in Charge (OIC), preparing aircraft and tools for deployment is no easy feat. Regardless of the DET’s skill level and experience, there is always too much to accomplish and seemingly not enough time.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe and the 34th President of the United States, famously coined the expression, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” On my last deployment, our Air Boss was always quick to remind our detachment of this quote though I never appreciated Eisenhower’s paradoxical wisdom until I served as a Detachment Maintenance Officer. The unfortunate reality of our profession is that, while out to sea, completing aircraft maintenance and returning birds to an “Up” status requires massive logistical coordination –even if you think your DET has planned for everything. The truth about planning is no matter how many alternatives are considered or how well DETs have anticipated maintenance schedules, strategies seldom go according to plan. There are known-unknowns we are taught to consider and then there are unknown-unknowns, like stray hurricanes in the Mediterranean that will completely flip a plan on its head. Nevertheless, the reality of the military is this: planning fuels how we train, fight, and win battles at sea, and, regardless of how the plan shapes out, we must always continue to plan.

When preparing your maintenance team for deployment, it may seem like there are too many items that need to be tracked. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources at the squadron’s disposal to assist in the planning process. Before reinventing the wheel and planning from scratch, check in with operations to see if they can provide a Wingspecific packing guide. These packing guides are an excellent starting point for all DETs and will keep maintenance teams standardized throughout the entire process.

As you prepare to “head out the door,” understand that the late nights spent planning for deployment will serve you and your team well on your next adventure at sea. If this is your first deployment or your third? The following list is specifically designed to ensure DETs and their teams of maintainers are ready for sea.

12 Items to Consider: 90 Days Before Deployment

1. Phase Kits: No matter how long the deployment is scheduled for, bring enough Phase Kits to carry each aircraft through all four cycles. This will ensure DETs have all the phase items needed in the event of an unexpected extension or delays in the supply chain.

2. OOMA Servers: Ensure the DET AZ op-checks the servers at the squadron before embarking. Once out to sea, it becomes increasingly difficult to receive software patches due to bandwidth limitations.

3. PEMAs: Verify that PEMAs are loaded with all maintenance publications and are current with the most recent Interim Change (IC).

4. FCF Booklets: Verify your DET has the most up-to-date Interim Change (IC) with QA and upload a digital copy to the PEMAs. Print out enough packets to get through the first few phases and don’t forget to pack additional cardstock for extra booklets.

5. ADB Best Practices: Should aircraft swap ADBs for the fly-on or fly their own onto the ship? However the DET or squadron decides to accomplish this, ensure all players are aware of which aircraft is flying on each ADB. Fly-on days are chaotic for many reasons and ADBs can inadvertently get left behind in Maintenance Control when packing up the aircraft. Designate a crew member to visually verify that the correct ADBs are present in each helicopter.

6. Special Inspections: Track and know aircraft Special Inspections intimately. The most important special to be aware of is the 364/365 Day Special Inspection. This annual inspection requires a magnetic compass (wet compass) in-flight verification and may require a recalibration if out of limits. To realign the wet compass, a land-based facility with a magnetic compass rose is required to accomplish the calibration. If an aircraft is set to expire during deployment, ensure the DET rebases these inspections while still at home.

7. Pre-Expendable Bin (Pre-Ex): Meet with the DET Lead Petty Officer (LPO) and DET Leads to determine what should be incorporated in the Pre-Ex. Pre-Ex’s can be tailored to and include items from individual workshops that Sailors will want to have handy to complete their maintenance. Items packed in the Pre-Ex can range from additional wash pads to spare wire leads and additional IHEEL batteries.

8. ALSS Gear: Set aside time to sit down with the DET PR and discuss upcoming expirations for NVDs, LPUs, and drysuits. Another inspection to be cognizant of is the ALSS 180-Day Special Inspection for NVDs and LPUs. The 180Day can be challenging to accomplish while on deployment due to unpredictable op-tempos and proximity to nearby Aviation Maintenance Depots (AMDs) that can accomplish the inspection. If the DET finds itself needing to rebase this inspection at sea, CVNs or other big decks can assist. It’s important to note that advanced planning will be required as the inspections can take one or two days. Although this sounds like a small amount of time, it is easier said than done as the parent ship will need to remain within reach of the AMD facility for retrieval. Needless to say, if the ALSS gear misses its 180-Day, then flight operations may be on hold until the inspection is completed. For drysuits, ensure each member of the aircrew fully dons their drysuit and inspects for rips and/or tears. Additionally, the rubber neck of the drysuit is extremely fragile and can rip with continued use if not careful. If the rubber lining rips while deployed, the drysuit will be downed and unable to be worn for use.

9. PUK Inspection: The Pack-Up-Kit (PUK) is a ship-owned and controlled supply department asset available for exclusive use by the embarked aviation detachment. Depending on how well the ship’s PUK Manager maintains their program, the contents of the PUK may be missing, expired, or incorrectly stored/labeled. For this reason, it is critically important that the DET MO, DET Chief, DET AZ, and PUK Manager inspect PUK contents in its entirety. High-priority items that are beneficial to track include:

Computers: Primary Computers, EDECUs, APU DESU

EGIS: Legacy vs. SAASM

Engines: T700-GE-401C Engine Log & ETF; APU

Blades: Inspect for cracks, fractures, or breaks

Elastomeric Bearings: Verify expiration dates

10. Sailors: Ensuring sailors are qualified and ready for the next step in their career is equally as important as packing the right maintenance gear. Work with the DET Chief and LPO to create a tracker for upcoming Plane Captain (PC) Monitors and other qualifications that may expire during deployment. Other items that must be considered include:

Flight Deck Director and Traverse Qualifications: Minimum Sailors qualified to accomplish first-month flight operations

Advancement exams: Coordinate with the DET Admin Officer and Squadron Admin Department

Midterm counseling & evals

Birthdays & anniversaries

11. Operational Environment: In today’s maritime environment there exists a demand to change operational theaters at a moment's notice. For these reasons, it is imperative to study the DET’s projected operating environment and have a plan for both warm and cold weather extremes. Colder weather has perhaps the greatest impact on DET operations.

Consider the following:

Cold weather suits for maintainers

Aircraft wash schedules in below-freezing temperatures

Install and op-check aircraft blade de-ice & control panels

12. Weapon & Mission System Test Kits: Simply verifying that these items are present on the IMRL inventory is not enough. If there is time available, work with operations and Maintenance Control to schedule an op-check. Test kits that are broken or malfunctioning are nearly impossible to correct while at sea.

If there is anything that our training has taught us, it is that checklists are here to help, and while our publications are a great starting point, they are not all-encompassing. The above list is not here to replace our publications but rather to highlight important areas that may require an additional look. While we would all love to pack the entire hangar and fly it onto the boat, space limitations and squadron manning requires that we disseminate aircraft and equipment to effect independent operations. It is for all these reasons and more that having a plan is so valuable. The ability to forecast months into the future, determine maintenance schedules, and plan flight operations is what makes Naval Aviation so effective. Before your DET leaves the squadron for deployment, remember the advice that General Eisenhower once gave to his soldiers –planning is essential, and plans are worthless.

As professionals, it is our duty to be prepared but also understand that plans can and will change while at sea. Yet, the hours spent planning at home will allow you and your team to adapt and implement contingencies on the spot, overcome unexpected obstacles, and return home safely to tell the tale.