RE21 optimizes supply chain support Published Nov. 1, 2007 By JoAnne Rumple Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Repair of Air Force engines, avionics and pods is becoming more efficient, thanks to Repair Enterprise for the 21st Century. Known as RE21, this Air Force initiative affects maintenance of many of the aircraft acquired and maintained for the warfighter by Air Force Materiel Command. According to Tim Werling, deputy for the depot maintenance operations division within AFMC's Logistics Directorate, the initiative calls for establishing, "an enterprise-wide (Air Force-wide) single repair network supporting a single supply chain and providing optimum support to the warfighter." Mr. Werling said that RE 21 is already proving its worth. "The goal is to achieve efficiency and effectiveness through maintenance consolidations, while ensuring appropriate capability to support deployable forces and supporting Air Force eLog21 streamlining initiatives," said Mr. Werling. Developed by the Air Staff's Logistics Board of Advisors in 2006, the concept is supported by logisticians within all Air Force major commands. AFMC is involved in implementation of Phase 1 of the initiative, now under way, which is aimed at intermediate repair level shops. It involves closing some intermediate repair level shops and opening others in centralized locations within the continental United States and overseas. New or revamped facilities will be entitled centralized intermediate repair facilities, or CIRFs. Location of these facilities will be announced later this year. According to Mr. Werling, the Air Force has already seen savings in man-hours and costs, since spare parts are now being located in fewer and more centralized locations. In addition, he said, Phase 1 has improved "continuity of experience" for maintainers working on the same task. Equipment receiving intermediate-level repair at the CIRFs will include the TF33, F100, F101 and F110 engines, B-1, C-5, C-130, E-3 and F-16 avionics, the Low Altitude Navigations and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, pod and the Pave Penny pod. Repair of Air Force aircraft and related equipment is actually conducted in three different types of facilities, depending on the nature of the equipment and the type of repair needed. Some is done at the base level, some at the intermediate repair level and some at AFMC's air logistics centers. According to Mr. Werling, maintainers should not notice significant changes in the way an aircraft is maintained, just in the facilities. "As far as any change an Airman in the back shop might notice ... the maintenance line would look familiar though it might be a larger repair facility than he/she was used to," he said. Supply chain management handled by AFMC and other commands includes provisions for parts needed for repair of aircraft and related equipment. Mr. Werling said he expects full operational capability for intermediate-level repair of the current set of engines, avionics and pods by sometime in fiscal 2012, though repair of the TF33 engine has already reached initial operational capability. Mr. Werling said that although the RE21 initiative would reduce the total number of Air Force maintainers, it would result in more efficient repair and maintenance because the new CIRFs will be tied into the new Global Logistics Supply Center. "All of this will work to our benefit," he said, "because we will now be looking at repair from an enterprise, or Air Force-wide, perspective."