EIELSON AFB, Alaska. -- The 354th Fighter Wing's Air Force Repair Enhancement Program (AFREP) is saving the Air Force millions of dollars by fixing broken equipment and reselling it, rather than outsourcing and paying for repairs. AFREP, which is attached to the 354th Maintenance Group (MXG), Quality Assurance Flight, is responsible for the repair and reselling of electronic Air Force assets.
The program has two primary missions, according to U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt.. Mike Gregory, who joked that the AFREP team" wander[s] the base and tinker[s] with stuff." The first mission is cost avoidance, which means instead of outsourcing and paying for repairs, the AFREP team fixes broken electronics cost-free. This program saves the Air Force a significant amount of money, as they do not need to pay for repairs that could be done in-house.
The second mission is credit, which involves repairing and reselling Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) material. If AFREP is able to fix the device or widget that is broken, they are able to add it back into the supply system and sell it. Last year, the AFREP team made two and a half million dollars from local sales, which was added to a checking account for the whole group to use.
While AFREP specializes in electronic repairs, there are a few exceptions. They cannot work on anything with safety life issues, such as automated external defibrillators (AED) or hospital equipment, nor can they work on weapon systems, such as tasers. Additionally, they cannot work on anything under warranty.
To demonstrate their capabilities, AFREP is currently working on one of the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots that no longer has support, making do until the Air Force allots more funding for a new one. With the help of 354th Maintenance Squadron metals technicians, they are able to repair it.
AFREP is a valuable resource for the base, and they encourage everyone to reach out to them directly to save the base unnecessary money on service calls.
To contact the AFREP team, individuals can email 354mxg.afrep.afrep@us.af.mil or call 907-377-4593