Power production provides generator support to two AFGSC missile fields Published April 21, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Mike Tryon 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Sustaining nuclear deterrence requires constant vigilance, even if electricity fails. As a precautionary measure, each missile alert and launch facility is equipped with back-up diesel engine generators. Last month, Air Force Global Strike Command's 90th Civil Engineer Squadron completed the refurbishment of 189 MAF and LF generators here and are currently working to finish refurbishing the 172 missile field generators at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. To replace and repower 361 generators between two missile fields, which includes the spare generators used for the trainers at each base, has been a long process, said Jerry Todd, 90th Civil Engineer Squadron's Electrical Power Production shop foreman. This project started in 2002, and is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 31, 2012. "Over the past decade, we have refurbished 264 generators with the new Diesel Electric Unit," Mr. Todd said. "This leaves us with 66 more to complete." The first Warren generator to have a facility engineering analysis test was at LF Echo-08 and was completed May 27, 2003, Mr. Todd added. A FEAT is a series of rigorous tests each generator goes through once the generator is installed in the missile field. The tests ensure each generator is capable of handling the load requirements at the MAF or LF. Since the first install, the power production shop has replaced and certified approximately eight generators per month. "For our missile complex, we did a one-for-one swap," said Tech. Sgt. Shane Long, 90th CES. "Basically, the maintainers were responsible for unhooking the existing generator and [the 90th] Maintenance Group transported it back to us so we could replace it with the new unit. "After we replaced the unit, the 90th MXG took it back out to the field and the maintainers installed the new unit," Sergeant Long added. Minot sends six generators at a time to the power production shop here to be refurbished. "We're given six weeks to refurbish those units and to get them back to Minot, so they can send us six more," Mr. Todd said. The refurbishing process is the same for both Minot and here, Mr. Todd explained. After this shop receives the old unit, which was installed in the 1950s, the 16-man shop removes the unit and thoroughly cleans the skid, or mounting frame. Once that is complete, the skid is modified to house the new unit. The next stage is to mount the new Diesel Engine Unit onto the skid and then it is painted. From there, all the minor components, such as filters and wires, are installed and the generator is prepared for testing. The final step in the process prior to a unit going to the field is a quality assurance inspection by 20th Air Force, he added. "Our inspection pass rate is 100 percent," Sergeant Long said. "For us to have spent 18,915 hours on this $6.5 million project without a failed inspection is incredible." Once the generator passes the inspection, it is either sent directly to the field or housed in a 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron warehouse, Sergeant Long added. After the unit is taken to the field, it is up to the maintainers to install the generator back into the MAF or LF, and then a FEAT can be accomplished.