16th EMS tactical trailer ready to deploy

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Airmen from the 16th Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s aircraft structural maintenance shop built a mobile tactical theater trailer that’s scheduled to deploy for the first time later this month. 

The trailer is the first of its kind and was the brainchild of leadership in 16th EMS.

The trailer was designed to perform home station checks, a six-month inspection of all components, on gunships while in theater. It gives deployed troops the capabilities of an entire structural maintenance facility and eliminates the need to have the aircraft return to Hurlburt Field. 

“If a plane leaves the theater, another one has to come replace it,” said Staff Sgt. Hugo Duque, 16th EMS aircraft structural maintenance craftsman.

Sergeant Duque and Staff Sgt. Jeff Ferrell, also an aircraft structural maintenance craftsman, were the leads on the actual construction of the trailer.

“Since we’ve deployed, we knew how it needed to function,” said Sergeant Ferrell.

It took the two a little more than a month to build the trailer. They are preparing to build two more.
The trailer is made of two ISU-90, deployable olive drab shed-like containers, tied together. The containers can be separated and palatized in a matter of 30 minutes. Set-up of the trailer also takes only 30 minutes.

“It’s that quick,” said Sergeant Ferrell.

The trailer is climate controlled to prevent corrosion of tools while under desert conditions.