ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam –
Whether they’re under the glow of floodlights cutting through the Pacific night, or bathing in the rays of the tropical Guam sun, maintainers from the U.S. Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force are working side by side as part of Operation Christmas Drop 2024 to ensure C-130Js delivering bundles to remote island communities never falter.
In May 2019, U.S. and Australian Air Forces first implemented a maintenance cross-servicing agreement that allows Airmen from either country to conduct and certify maintenance on shared aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130J Super Hercules. Today, USAF and RAAF maintainers are prepared to work together and leverage their shared expertise and resources to keep the mission airborne both in humanitarian missions like OCD or in responding to real-world contingencies across the Indo-Pacific.
"The ARMS agreement allows us to work with partner nations in remote locations. If a crew is stuck somewhere and doesn’t have enough maintainers, we can provide manning—or vice versa—making us a more agile fighting force,” said Master Sgt. Chaz Burrows, C-130 production superintendent for the 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan. "We also have the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement , which allows us to share parts with other nations like Canada, Australia, and Japan. This increases our versatility and mission readiness."
Warrant Officer Glen “Henry” Lawson, a duty engineer with the RAAF’s 37th Squadron out of RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales, Australia, echoed the importance of this collaboration, emphasizing how shared platforms and aligned procedures strengthen the U.S.-RAAF maintenance partnership.
"The U.S.-RAAF maintenance partnership is built on shared platforms like the C-130J Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, and P-8 Poseidon. Our forces are closely aligned not only technically but also culturally, making collaboration smoother,” he said. “When we come together for missions like Operation Christmas Drop, the interoperability framework allows us to share spare parts and technical expertise. Even when we don’t work side by side physically, we back each other up, ensuring mission success without delays."
Burrows said that collaborative environments like OCD, with its humanitarian-focused mission, provide maintainers valuable experience working together to support remote communities across the Indo-Pacific, while also strengthening their readiness for potential future contingencies.
“While OCD is a low-threat environment, the mission is important. The mission needs to get done,” he said. “It allows us the experience that, when the time comes that we need to answer our nation's calls or the world's call, we'll be ready to do it.”
Lawson agreed, adding that the mission sends a clear message of support and commitment to a myriad of people groups living within the Indo-Pacific theater.
"(OCD) is a feel-good moment in my career,” Lawson said. “It’s not about the glory; it’s about knowing that we’re making a positive impact in the region. When the Pacific communities see those bundles coming down, they know we’re here to help—not just during disasters but also during good times.”