An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | March 24, 2023

353 SOW from Kadena Visits Yokota for Isochronal Inspection

By Airman Jarrett Smith 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (SOAMXS) at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, visited their counterparts at Yokota Air Base, on mainland Japan, to conduct an isochronal inspection on an MC-130J Commando II, from Feb. 22 to March 13.

The inspection involved Yokota and Kadena members from different career fields who helped support maintenance and conduct an in-depth inspection of the MC-130J. Isochronal inspections are done periodically depending on the model, flight hours, and age of an aircraft.

An isochronal inspection is a much more in-depth inspection than what aircraft maintainers do on a daily basis. It’s rare for maintainers in different sections to work alongside one another; however, an ISO inspection is so in-depth that it requires all of the sections to come together at once.

Without the proper equipment, personnel, or facilities, the 353rd SOAMXS needed assistance with accomplishing the inspection. So, with the help of Yokota’s Airmen, it was all hands on deck to complete the job.

“The isochronal inspection is an opportunity to break down parts that don’t really see the daylight,” said Airman 1st Class Erick Ortega, assistant dedicated crew chief for the 353rd SOAMXS at Kadena. “We can inspect those parts and make sure they can complete the mission.”

Depending on the parts requiring repair, isochronal inspections can last several months, which can be stressful for everyone involved. The people who worked on this inspection, however, made the process as efficient and timely as possible.

For Tech. Sgt. Bobby Price, flightline crew chief for the 353rd SOAMXS, this was the smoothest-running isochronal inspection he has ever experienced in his career.

“From my experience, and what we’ve done, it’s been incredible,” said Price. “Everyone here ran 200% smoother in almost every capacity.”

In the end, the 353rd SOAMXS returned home with a fully inspected and improved plane just 20 days after arriving at Yokota, further proving the 374th Airlift Wing capability to support a wide variety of aircraft based in the Indo-Pacific at any time.
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
Twitter
342,728
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
CNO Hosts Full-Honors Welcoming Ceremony for Singapore’s Chief of Defense Rear Adm. Aaron Beng
Singapore’s Chief of Defense Rear Adm. Aaron Beng receives a full-honors welcoming ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard, May 25. Beng, who earlier this month became the first naval officer to lead Singapore’s armed forces, reaffirmed with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday the enduring U.S.-Singapore bilateral defense relationship during his visit to Washington. (U.S. Navy photo Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael B. Zingaro)
May 26, 2023 - WASHINGTON -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday hosted Singapore’s Chief of Defense Rear Adm. Aaron Beng in Washington, D.C., for a full-honors welcoming ceremony, May 25.At the ceremony, CNO presented Beng with a...

Vietnam Vets Honored during 50th Anniversary Celebration
Visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. walk the length of the wall March 11 and observe the more than 58,000 names engraved on the wall. The memorial is the most visited memorial on the Washington, D.C. Mall with more than 5 million visitors every year. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Sarah Sangster, Army News Service)
May 26, 2023 - WASHINGTON -- The Vietnam War Commemoration hosted Welcome Home, a three-day event in Washington, D.C. on May 11-13 to celebrate 50 years since the last Soldier, Master Sgt. Max Beilke, left Vietnam, and to honor Vietnam...

Washington Guard Prepares for Hanuman Guardian 23
Vehicles from 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, Washington National Guard, sit in the loading bay of a cargo ship as it is being loaded for travel to the Kingdom of Thailand prior to Hanuman Guardian 23 on May 23, 2023, at the Port of Tacoma, Wash. (Joseph Siemandel)
May 26, 2023 - TACOMA, Wash. -- This summer, more than 500 Washington National Guard members will take part in Hanuman Guardian 23, an annual, bilateral exercise hosted by the Royal Thai Army at the Cavalry Center in Saraburi, Thailand...

PACAF RQ-4 Global Hawks Arrive at Yokota Air Base
An RQ-4 Global Hawk, assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron, 319th Operation Group, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, sits on the flightline at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 2, 2023. U.S. Pacific Air Forces began positioning RQ-4 Global Hawks at Yokota Air Base, Japan, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on May 15 to provide theater-wide enduring operations in support of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S, Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)
May 25, 2023 - YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Pacific Air Forces began positioning RQ-4 Global Hawks at Yokota Air Base, Japan, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on May 15 to provide theater-wide enduring operations in support of...

U.S. Partnership with U.K., Australia Enhances Security
U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 22, establish defensive positions as MV-22 Ospreys approach for landing during an airfield seizure event as part of exercise Koolendong 22 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Curtin, WA, Australia, July 18, 2022. Exercise Koolendong 22 is a combined and joint force exercise focused on expeditionary advanced base operations conducted by U.S. Marines, U.S. Soldiers, U.S. Airmen, and Australian Defence Force personnel. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cedar Barnes)
May 25, 2023 - WASHINGTON -- In September 2021, the U.S., Australia and the U.K. announced a new partnership, AUKUS, meant to strengthen alliances and security, especially in the Indo-Pacific. In March, plans for moving forward on the first...