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The 86th Materiel Maintenance Squadron hosted five Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel for an annual War Reserve Materiel familiarization and exchange event at Ramstein Air Base, Oct. 7-14.
The weeklong event brought together Airmen from the 86th MMS, 86th Maintenance Squadron, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron and Norwegian aerospace ground equipment service members to exchange knowledge, refine maintenance and storage procedures for equipment, and ensure the readiness of U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s WRM assets. Placing these materials strategically across the European theater reduces response time during operations by providing immediate access to mission essential resources and equipment.
“The whole premise of the WRM program is the prepositioning of equipment within the European theater ahead of the combat force,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Frank Marquette, 86th MMS director of operations. “Airmen stepping into harm’s way expect that equipment to be ready and functioning. Without credible, standardized WRM, you don’t have actual credible deterrence.”
Throughout the week, participants conducted hands-on familiarization and maintenance on various AGE and logistics equipment, including self-generating nitrogen servicing carts, diesel generators, air conditioners, refuelers, loaders and forklifts. The sessions gave the Norwegian technicians valuable time with materiel assets and offered U.S. Airmen the opportunity to exchange knowledge with seasoned maintainers.
“I take these training opportunities to learn from the Norwegians to heart, they’ve been doing my job longer than I have,” said Master Sgt. Alexander Tempel, 86th MMS flightline systems flight chief. “One of them even identified a contradiction in a technical order that had gone unnoticed for years. We took that feedback straight to the engineers and got it corrected. That’s the value we get from these exchanges; we learn from each other.”
In addition to the Norwegian air force airmen visiting Ramstein AB, members of the 86th MMS travel to Norway twice a year to perform quality assurance inspections and ensure equipment meets U.S. Air Force standards. These reoccurring equipment checks prevent local variations in procedure and reinforce the consistent technical practices held between our two partnering nations.
The Norwegians maintain U.S. equipment at two remote storage sites. Each site manages roughly 300 pieces of AGE, providing crucial support to the WRM program and NATO’s northern capabilities.
“Having subject matter experts who’ve maintained this equipment for decades brings incredible value,” Marquette said. “But it’s also important we keep everything standardized to Air Force procedures and not local variations. That’s what these visits and training achieve.”
As the nature of warfare continues to evolve, regular engagements ensure both U.S. and Norwegian personnel are aligned together on materiel maintenance standards, technical updates and shared operational goals.
“Our relationship with our mission partners is integral to achieving victory at the Global Gateway and throughout the European theater, said Maj. Nicholas Spivey, 86th MMS commander. “This event epitomized the spirit of partnership and will continue reinforce readiness today and well into the future.”
