AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – The 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, “Task Force Mustang,” 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard, assigned maintenance Soldiers from different units to develop cohesive teams for the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve mission across Iraq and Syria. 

These teams deliver expert aircraft maintenance, trusted by Army pilots for various flight missions conducted around the clock, 24/7.

One team is led by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Palacio, noncommissioned officer in charge from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion, 36th CAB. It is responsible for all Army aircraft maintenance at Al Asad Air Base.

“We all came together from different stations, and that is what made us better — the cohesion of everyone coming together,” Palacio said. “Everyone understood the situation and what was needed to be done to take on this mission.”

The maintenance team comprises Soldiers from across Task Force Mustang’s battalions: the 2-149th GSAB, known as “TF Roosevelt,” the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion from the New York Army National Guard, known as “TF Rough Riders,” the 449th Aviation Support Battalion (449th ASB), known as “TF Dark Horse,” and the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, known as “TF No Mercy.”

TF Mustang has primarily UH-60M Black Hawk, UH-60L Black Hawk, and CH-47F Chinook aircraft that require nonstop maintenance at Al Asad Air Base. Aviation maintenance technicians from New York were familiar with the UH-60M, whereas 2-149th GSAB’s Soldiers from Texas and Oklahoma were used to the UH-60M and UH-60L. Yet, only those from Oklahoma were familiar with the CH-47F aircraft.

Palacio, who has deployed overseas five times, brings a wealth of experience in managing the avionics team, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance platoon, and back shops of personnel from different battalions. He discussed the challenges his team has overcome the past five months.

“Everyone was nervous at first and were not communicating because they didn’t know each other. No one knew what to expect,” he said. “But, because one person knows more than another person, everyone was able to learn more above their means. Once everyone began sharing their knowledge altogether, all of our mechanics advanced.”

After coordinating 15 morale barbecues, feeding more than 75 Soldiers and neighbors stationed at AAAB, Palacio says his assigned AMTs have bonded.

“We’ve been together for about four to five months, and it feels like we’ve known each other for a lifetime,” he said. “Our junior enlisted Soldiers have become more advanced and capable of completing tasks with minimal supervision. I now feel comfortable for them to go out on their own because of how much they’ve learned.”

Spc. Danny Pham, from Delta Company, 2-149th GSAB, and an aircraft electrician in the aviation maintenance team, reflected on his first overseas assignment.

“During our mobilization at Fort Hood, it felt overwhelming because I didn’t know anyone I was working with and I had little-to-no experience doing maintenance tasks all on my own,” said Pham. “The job can be stressful, but the people around me kept pushing each other to get work done.”

Pham credits Palacio and one of his assigned direct supervisors, Sgt. Michael Rivera, from Delta Company, 3-142nd AHB, for their leadership and guidance.

“Once at AAAB, everything started to get easier with maintenance plans and schedules,” he said. “... Our deployment is more fun than I expected it to be. It’s enjoyable.”

Spc. Stephon Johnson, UH-60 helicopter mechanic from Delta Company, 3-142nd AHB, and a former Marine mechanic on the 6116 Osprey Tilt-rotor helicopter, felt the same way about adapting to the new op-tempo.

“First, during pre-mobilization, I was worried,” said Johnson. “A lot of Guardsmen were nervous because they don’t do their job as much back home, as it isn’t the same type of maintenance as it is overseas. Back home, it isn’t as urgent to fix aircraft while waiting on parts as compared to here.”

Johnson was at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, for two months before joining the maintenance team at AAAB.

“It was a lot of work getting the aircraft ready at Camp Buehring, but here, the maintenance is more pressing — you have to move with more urgency because the aircraft cannot be down for an extended period of time,” he said. “But there is a better balance here for getting the job done and building unit cohesion. It feels like a family here.”

Spc. Collin Palmatier, avionics mechanic from Bravo Company, 449th ASB, focuses on electronic components for Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters.

“When I first got here, I had some challenges. It had been a while since my advanced individual training, but I was able to learn from several maintenance mistakes and apply best practices quickly,” said Palmatier.

Staff Sgt. Robert Aulet, section sergeant from Delta Company, 3-142nd AHB, oversees back shops that provide maintenance to sheet metal, prop rotor, power plant (engine), and hydraulics.

“Each shop plays a vital role to maintaining a high-operational rate to ensure our aircraft are safe and ready to launch,” Aulet said. “Before our mobilization, no one knew how these shops were going to integrate across multiple work sites and units. This challenged all of us to step out of our comfort zone and learn how to work together.”

Staff Sgt. Zachary Gallant, avionics section sergeant for Bravo Company, 449th ASB, supervises 15 Soldiers within the aviation maintenance team.

“Merging five different states between three different units was a struggle,” said Gallant. “In the beginning of our tour, it took a little time to learn everybody’s maintenance level and work ethic, but eventually, everything worked out. Now, we’re all very close.”

Gallant said their technicians have maintenance levels zero through three, which determine if a Soldier or AMT can work unsupervised. Maintenance levels zero to 1 can only work if they are supervised by level 2 or 3 personnel. 

“At the beginning of our mission, about 80 percent of our AMTs started at level zero,” he said. “Since then, we have increased everyone’s maintenance level, and we’ve determined that 75 percent of our total AMTs will be at level 2 by the time they are mission complete.”

Staff Sgt. William Shaleesh, standardization instructor and UH-60 helicopter repairer attached to Alpha Company, 3-142nd AHB, said the maintenance team is one of the best he has worked with in his 18 years in the Army National Guard.

“I have seen every one of my own guys, including outside units and our own detachment of Soldiers from 3-142nd AHB, working tirelessly together,” he said. “If one fails, we all fail. No one is an individual — we are all here together as one team.”