PMEL measures up Published Jan. 12, 2009 By Michelle Hozey 305th Air Mobility Wing public affairs volunteer McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- The mission of the 46 personnel who make up the 305th Maintenance Squadron's Test, Measurements, and Diagnostic Equipment Flight is to provide safe and accurate equipment to their customers. The flight supports 14,000 pieces of TMDE operated by 10 flying wings and Air Force Research Laboratory in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Lajes Field, Azores. They provide service to 400 customers, including active-duty Air Force, Army National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Navy, Coast Guard and government contractors. They support KC-135, F-16 and C-130 aircraft as well as the C-17 and KC-10 aircraft supported by McGuire. Seventy-five percent of the TMDE Flight's workload comes from off base. "Every place you go on base, we have calibrated some of their equipment, from the flightline-test equipment to the volt meters at the 305th Civil Engineer Squadron to medical equipment used in the 305th Medical Group," said Master Sgt. Richard Hibbard, Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory chief. They conduct in-house and off-site maintenance and calibration. They perform on-site maintenance for guard bases and support Air Expeditionary Force's rotation cycles. The flight is broken down into three sections: Production, Calibration and Quality Assurance. Production handles incoming and outgoing parts. Calibration is the process of ensuring that equipment meets specifications to a scientific degree. For example, a thermometer must be calibrated to ensure the temperature readings are correct. QA is the process of verifying that production is being done correctly. TMDE, unlike other flights, has its own QA program because the flight itself acts as QA for other operations. The work that takes place is done in a clean, controlled environment. A stringent temperature and humidity is kept in the laboratory. "It can really mess you up if it's not constant," said Master Sgt. Craig Dunigan, TMDE Flight superintendent. "If the temperature changes, then some items may need to be recalibrated." Sergeant Hibbard opened a box and pointed to a small unit of measurement made from steel. "This, for example, we know is four inches long plus or minus one thousandth of an inch at 73 degrees. If the temperature changes more than plus or minus six degrees, then we have to use a formula to determine the new length. It's the same thing as when your front door expands in the summer," he added. Their measurements are safe, accurate and traceable though Air Force Metrology and Calibration and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Sergeant Hibbard said. A few items in the laboratory, in order to ensure accuracy in measurement, cannot be touched with human hands. "If we touch them, the grease from our hands may rub off and mess up the measurements," Sergeant Hibbard said. Also to ensure accuracy, each measurement is allowed a tolerance within .1 percent. For example, altitude indicators are accurate at 25,000 feet within 25 feet. The members of the TMDE Flight have a very precise and exacting job that requires knowledge of advanced math and many formulas. They prepare for their jobs by completing the 10-month TMDE course, which is currently located at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The building the flight currently occupies is a temporary home while a $2.4 million renovation is in progress, on the original building, in order to accommodate a larger workload. Sergeant Hibbard said the flight has seen a workload increase of 30 per cent in the last four years. Building renovations started in September 2007. The flight has occupied its current building since May 2008, and the work is expected to be finished in March.