Do you have broken equipment laying around the office? Don’t throw it out!

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Danielle Quilla
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The Air Force strives to make every dollar count. The high cost of replacing devices is a large portion of installations’ annual budget so Airmen are encouraged to repair broken items, rather than tossing and replacing them.

That’s precisely what the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program (AFREP) does.

The AFREP section at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, has three certified technicians dedicated to repairing broken equipment, ranging from basic office equipment to parts for the A-10 Thunderbolt II. This reduces unnecessary expenses and minimizes waste.

“We would like to let Team Whiteman come see us,” said Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Sherrill, an AFREP technician assigned to the 509th Maintenance Group. “We are looking to offer our expertise to the entire installation to repair miscellaneous items that have been stored away and forgotten because they’re broken.”

Sherrill and his fellow AFREP technicians, Master Sgt. Daniel Nelson and Staff Sgt. Christopher Lear, are certified to fix just about anything a customer turns into their section. Their efforts have already saved the 509th Bomb Wing more than $842,000 in repairs for the 2018 fiscal year.

“Within the last fiscal year, we replaced a $5 fuse on the $27,000 microwave for the B-2 sustenance container, returning it back to service,” Sherrill said. “Many times it only takes a few dollars to get a piece of equipment restored to its fully functional state.”

Before throwing away that faulty keyboard or any other equipment, contact AFREP or go to Building 709, Room 107.

“Just ask us,” Sherrill said. “The worst thing that we might say is we can’t fix it, but we will do all the necessary research before coming to that conclusion.”

For more information, email AFREP at 509MSG.MXQG.AFREP@us.af.mil or call the technicians at 660-687-6886 / 6890.