McConnell Reservists flex manufacturing muscles

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Upgrades on McConnell's KC-135 Stratotankers are continuous, and upgrades to the more than 50-year-old galley of the passenger area are no exception.

Among the storage features a traditional galley offers, McConnell Reservists working in the 931st Aircraft Structural Maintenance shop are in the process of upgrading to sturdier galleys that now feature microwaves.  Though working in a Total Force environment, Reservists working in the shop originally stepped up to take on the task. 

The decision was made primarily because the Reservists, such as Tech. Sgt. Devin Street, have prior experience with commercial aircraft manufacturing.  Despite the experience and equipment within the shop, the task isn't typically easy. 

"This is a bit of a challenge because you're basically trying to manufacture in a non-manufacturing environment," said Street.

Tech. Sgt. Jason Barker, 931st MXS, who also worked in commercial aircraft manufacturing, agreed.

"This shop is typically set up for repairs, so you basically have to build the workstation from scratch," he said.

Despite these challenges, the 931st ASM have already completed two of the upgraded galleys in the past eighteen months and are currently working on three more.  They expect these upgrades to be completed sometime in June.