HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Mature and Proven Aircraft Division’s T-38 Program Office at Hill AFB was recently honored with the 2017 Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award.
The Honorable Dr. William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology & Logistics), notified the program office of the selection in March and said, “The Roche Award is based on outstanding accomplishment in the areas of mission support and product support innovation, both in which the T-38 program office team excels.
“The T-38 Talon team’s efforts are instrumental in ensuring effective and efficient training operations across multiple MAJCOMs including AETC, ACC, AFGSC, and AFMC as well as the U.S. Navy, NASA, and International Partner nations.”
Lynda Rutledge, the Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate Program Executive Officer, presented the award to Angela Micheal and the T-38 Program Office on May 8 at Hill AFB.
Micheal, the Division Chief and T-38 Program Manager, leads the team charged with the fleet of 598 T 38 Talons for AETC, ACC, AFMC, AFGSC, USN, NASA and FMS operations.
The award is named after Dr. James Roche, a former U.S. Navy Officer and the 20th Secretary of the Air Force and is presented in recognition annually to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center aircraft program office with the most improved performance in fleet sustainment during the given fiscal year.
Metrics evaluated in order to receive the award include aircraft availability, mission capable and cannibalization rates, along with non-mission capable rates for supply and maintenance.
During fiscal 2017, the Air Force T-38 fleet flew 105,000 flying hours, a 3.4 percent increase from fiscal 2016. The service also increased pilot production by 17.5 percent and garnered a 5 percent aircraft availability gain compared to the previous year.
The program office partnered with supply chain partners, both the Air Force Sustainment Center and Defense Logistics Agency, to raise capable supply rates and projected increases for peak pilot production years.
The program office collaborated with AFSC mission partners to compress the aircraft modification schedule for Pacer Classic III resulting in the early delivery of eight aircraft.
These are just a few of the highlights that helped the T-38 Program Office garner the award.
Micheal said the program office in conjunction with the major commands, and other military and contractor mission partners have worked together to posture the T-38 to meet the Air Force chief of staff’s number one priority of increasing fighter pilot production to address projected shortages.
This is a major undertaking for a 56-year-old aircraft, Micheal said.
