‘Bulldawgs’ are ‘Ready Now!’

By Airman 1st Class Kate Wetherby
43rd AW PAO

Their purpose: to provide aircraft maintenance support that enables the Air Mobility Command global mission. In reality that means so much more to a Pope aircraft maintenance Airmen.

The 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is a 24-hour operating squadron that maintains all C-5, C-17, and C-130 aircraft transitioning through Pope on U.S. Transportation Command missions. At Green Ramp, their squadron supports nearly one-quarter of Air Mobility Command’s world-wide joint airborne and air transportability training exercises.

“We consistently provide superior maintenance,” said Master Sgt. Jay Scoda 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, AMU superintendent. “We do this 24/7, 365 days a year for special assignment airlift missions, joint chiefs of staff, Department of Defense directed exercises, and real world contingencies,” he said.

Pope’s Green Ramp “Bulldawgs” continually prepare for real-world missions and are constantly on call.

“We are always ready for our real world mission,” said Scoda. “The mission could include anyone from the 82nd Airborne (Division) to our Joint Special Operations Command.

“At a moment’s notice, Fort Bragg and the All-American Global Response Force might have to airlift out a brigade sized unit,” explained Scoda. “This makes it necessary to always be ready to support them.”

With Pope’s AMXS mission, it makes it significantly unique and different than typical AMC maintenance squadrons.

“Our AMXS differs from other AMC bases because we function like an air mobility squadron, or an ‘en route’,” said Scoda. “We don’t own or possess aircraft; we take care of the heavy cargo aircraft that transit Pope from other bases. This AMXS is also different because we have a local training mission for ensuring the readiness of the Global Response Force. This is accomplished through joint airborne and air transportability training missions.”

Even though there proves to be differences, one thing stays consistent — the excellence of the AMXS Airmen.

“Airmen in the 43rd AMXS consistently perform superior maintenance,” said Scoda. “For instance, during the Haiti relief effort we had 31, C-130s and 17, C-17s on the ramp: 600 percent of our normal airflow. They enabled 349 missions with an amazing 95 percent maintenance departure reliability rate, all with zero safety incidents within the squadron. This was the first time an entire brigade combat team moved solely by airlift.”

Staff Sergeant Samuel Tuggle, 43rd AMXS turboprop shaft craftsman, lives by the motto “do more with less”, when performing daily tasks.

“My squadron is the best kept secret in the Air Force,” said Tuggle. “We have some of the best technicians in our squadron and we definitely understand “do more with less.” Not only do we perform perfectly at our primary job, we also have to be qualified on tasks and duties normally handled by other career fields ... and not just on one airframe, but three.

“I love my job,” said Tuggle. “I get to see the fruits of my labor whenever we repair an aircraft and it is able to depart with critical supplies or Soldiers for their area of responsibility.”

With BRAC quickly approaching the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is proud to be able to carry on the Pope motto of “Ready Now!”

“With BRAC drawing to a close, the men and women of the 43rd AMXS look forward to being one of the enduring squadrons that will carry on the legacy of superior quality work and professionalism that Pope Air Force Base is known for today,” said Scoda.

“Our post-BRAC mission, ‘Center of Gravity for Strategic Operations’… Green Ramp Bulldawgs are ready now!”

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