20th AF rolls out new vehicles

Bruce Clark, 341st Communications Squadron base radio maintenance technician, installs an antenna for a land-mobile radio on a new 4x4 pickup truck, Nov. 13 in the land-mobile radio maintenance shop. These radios are installed on all new vehicles Malmstrom Air Force Base received through the Force Improvement Program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt)

20th AF rolls out new vehicles

Duane Sievers, left, and Craig Davis, right, 341st Communications Squadron base radio maintenance technicians, install a land based radio on a new 4x4 pickup truck Nov. 13 in the land-mobile radio maintenance shop. Malmstrom Air Force Base is receiving 43 new vehicles for members deploying to the missile field through the Force Improvement Program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Joshua Smoot)

20th AF rolls out new vehicles

20th AF rolls in new vehicles

Published Dec. 12, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Brandon Valle
90th Missile Wing Public Affairs

F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The Airmen who travel to the missile fields across F.E. Warren, Minot and Malmstrom Air Force Bases are in the midst of receiving new trucks to their inventory.

Each of the missile bases received Ford F-150s and Dodge Ram 3500's equipped with the essentials for the missile field, including four-wheel drive and radio equipment.

"It'll be an enormous improvement for the missile wing," said Art Nyberg, 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle fleet maintenance control and analysis manager at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

Twentieth Air Force began delivering the vehicles in October and has distributed 48 of the 95 vehicles to the three missile wings.

"The missile combat crews will benefit the most from the new trucks," said Master Sgt. Adam Varga, 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations supervisor at F.E. Warren. "The four-wheel drive is better equipped to handle the field conditions."

One of the main concerns of the current vehicles has been their high mileage.

"The current trucks [on Warren] are averaging around 190,000 miles each," Varga said, "which is well past their life expectancy."

Due to the daily use of the vehicles, maintaining them has been a costly concern, he added.

"When the older vehicles have to haul up to four people out at a time, plus all of the winter and survival gear, it can overload the vehicle," Nyberg said. "The new pickups are four-wheel drive and half-ton; therefore, they won't be overloaded. They are a lot safer for the Airmen and a much better fit for our mission."

The new trucks will give our missile crews a reliable, versatile vehicle to get out to the missile field, Varga said.

Being able to receive the new vehicles will be a huge boost to morale and improve the logistics of the mission considerably, Nyberg said.

These vehicles are just one of the many ways the Force Improvement Program initiatives are helping to provide better equipment and a more efficient way to accomplish the mission.

In recent months, Air Force Global Strike Command and 20th Air Force have made huge strides in the quality of life and safety of the Airmen across the command. Such improvements include security forces defenders receiving upgraded equipment; maintenance has increased efficiency by adding a new shop to their repertoire; and manning has been increased across the wings.

For more information about FIP, visit www.afgsc.af.mil.