SIOUX Town, IA — The vehicle servicing store at the 185th Air Refueling Wing was not too long ago presented with a really substantial, lime-yellow challenge. The diesel engine in the Air Countrywide Guard fire department’s aging “Crash Truck” had developed an internal coolant leak.


A rebuilt engine came with a $50,000 substitute cost and vehicle functions shop supervisors ended up told there is “no money.”


Included to the conundrum, the truck can’t be taken out of service due to the fact it is a required component of the unit’s KC-135 flying operations at the Sioux Town, Iowa airport. For the interim the truck experienced continue to been in support at the Iowa Air Guard unit.


Reminiscent of the 1980’s Tv show “The A-team,” when the chips were being down, automobile servicing mechanics and store supervisors Senior Learn Sgt. Luke Terry and Learn Sgt. Archie Kelly came up with a system.


When the latest runway building venture commenced at the Sioux City airport this spring, Terry claimed it offered a window of chance to tear into the 8 wheeled behemoth. The unit’s KC-135 aircraft will be off station for the summer season, so the engine restore undertaking could start.


With the important time and opportunity that came with the runway closure, 185th mechanics made the decision that the perform could be done in-residence. Terry and Kelly made a decision the job could also be finished at a sizeable price personal savings by undertaking the perform regionally, to the tune of a $40,000 cost cost savings.


When they experienced a dilemma and no one else could help, they referred to as in the A-staff to make the most of their lime-yellow lemon. A mixture of total-time and regular guard associates operating in the course of their yearly schooling this week made rapid perform of taking away the entire 8v92 two-stroke Detroit Diesel engine.


Just after placing up a modest fight, Master Sgt. Ryan Lieber, Technical Sgt. Jason Lammers, Team Sgt. Lorne Fauth and Technological Sgt. Crisanto Vargas cajoled the motor into submission and ended up in a position to remove it from the rear of the truck.


“We have under no circumstances accomplished this just before, this is not typical upkeep for us,” Terry explained, as he described the plan to overhaul the full motor.


The “Crash Truck” is an eight wheeled 1996 Teledyne P23 with a big V8 diesel that has been put by the paces for additional than 25 a long time. Terry said the “pump and role” truck design has the engine also driving the truck’s two massive water cannons that can blast 2000 gallons of h2o a minute.


“This is a high RPM motor,” Terry additional, when he explained the workload that has been put on the truck’s engine for a quarter century.


Complex Sgt. Jason Lammers claimed the program has them undertaking the engine disassembly through a portion of their once-a-year schooling this June, even though also figuring out what replacement pieces are required. Lammers reported he to begin with acquired his trade at Northwest Iowa Group Higher education in Sheldon, Iowa. He reported he runs a diesel mechanic store with his father in close by Le Mars, Iowa although also serving component time in the Iowa Air Guard.


Following the needed pieces get there, Lammers reported they prepare to end the remainder of their 15 allotted yearly instruction days the place they program to set the beast again jointly in advance of the close of summer season.


When the runway construction is total and the unit’s KC-135 aircraft return, the target is to have the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting or ARFF Crash Truck back on line. By this tumble the Iowa ANG mechanics should be reflecting on the illustrious terms of Col. John “Hannibal” Smith when he mentioned, at the conclusion of each precarious A-workforce episode, “I really like it when a system will come jointly.”