Barksdale Profile: 707th Maintenance Squadron

A program that's been going on for about a year at Barksdale Air Force Base is expected to save money and time: the 707th Maintenance Squadron.  It combines Reserve and Active Duty airmen.  Maintenance from both components work together in some form or fashion (TFE) Total Force Enterprise.

"We are integrated with active duty so we get to take the best of both worlds from active duty and what they bring and what the reserve brings. We get to stand side by side and provide the best unit for the Air Force" says Lt Col. Dwayne Slack, the 707th Maintenance Squadron commander. 

The squadron brings two components together to learn and gain from each other's experience. It also proves that the two components can work well together as they will have to do if they are deployed to the same areas of operation.

CMSgt. Eddy Young has been in the Air Force reserve for almost two decades and most of that time he's worked on B52's.

"I think the continuity is the biggest impact. I'm going to be here for quite awhile over my active duty brethren who are changing stations throughout their career" says CMSgt. Young.

The 707th works to keep 22 aircraft flying.

"We prepare them for flight everyday, we do all the maintenance checkouts, if anything breaks, we do all the repairs on the jets, we sustain them however we need to" says COL Stephen Petters, the 2nd Maintenance Group Commander and an active duty airman.

The Air Force mission doesn't stop so it is important to have plenty of people around that are trained and know what to do 24/7. Combining active duty and reserve airmen helps maintain readiness.

"One reason is the continuity that it provides with a smaller force compared to what it used to be. It's more cost efficient. We combine efforts to fulfill one mission" says CMSgt. Young.

"I couldn't tell you who was a reservist and who was active duty. We look, dress, act, fight all the same way" says COL Petters.