Management Adaptations in Jet Engine Repair at a Naval Aviation Depot in Support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

摘要

From November 1990 through the end of February 1991, six carrier battle groups and two Marine air wings operated simultaneously in Southwest Asia in Operation Desert Shield/Storm (ODS/S). This massive deployment of Naval and marine aviation units put pressure on the Naval supply system to provide needed parts and supplies. Since certain items, such as jet engines, were particularly susceptible to breakdowns in the harsh desert environment in which the forces were operating, some divisions of the Naval Aviation Depots (NADEPs) were tasked to 'surge' selected repairs to provide the theater with spare end items and repair parts. One such division was the engine shop at NADEP North Island (San Diego, CA) which, among other tasks, was asked to surge its repair of T64 jet engines, the engines used in CH-53 helicopters. This Note focuses on the surge-related problems faced at North Island and on the management adaptations, particularly in materiel support, devised there in response. We visited North Island to discuss the production surge. To put North Island's experience in it proper context, we also visited the NADEPs at Cherry Point, NC, at Jacksonville, FLA, and at Norfolk, VA, as well as the Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, D.C., and the Aviation Supply Office in Philadelphia, PA.