Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) inducted its first HH-60W Jolly Green II for scheduled depot-level maintenance Sept. 21, marking the platform’s first aircraft to be brought in for planned maintenance at the depot’s Global TransPark facility in Kinston.

The achievement follows the Sept. 17 ribbon cutting of the brand new, state-of-the-art facility built specifically to support the depot’s new workload.

FRCE Commanding Officer Col. Christopher C. McDonald II said this induction represents a significant milestone in the depot’s support of warfighter readiness.

“As the Department of War’s Vertical Lift Center of Excellence, our responsibility is clear: deliver the capability and readiness our warfighters need, on time and on target!” said McDonald. “This induction and the expansion of our industrial capacity are more than milestones. They represent our continued commitment to strengthening joint force aviation and ensuring our warfighters are ready to fight and win.

“None of this happens without the dedication, expertise and pride of our workforce,” he continued. “Our people are the foundation of this command, and their commitment to excellence is what allows us to deliver on our promises to the fleet. We are not simply expanding what we do; we are strengthening our ability to execute the mission today while building the capacity and capability required for tomorrow.” 

Air Force HH-60W Helicopter Program Office Division Chief Charles Darnell said the critical nature of the HH-60W mission leaves zero margin for failure, outlining the vital need to partner with a depot-level maintenance facility capable of meeting the Air Force’s stringent standards for aircraft reliability. The Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II replaces the HH-60G Pave Hawk as a dedicated combat rescue helicopter, and is used to recover isolated personnel from hostile or denied territory, day or night, in adverse weather, and in a variety of threat environments from terrorist to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear. It is also utilized in humanitarian missions, civil search and rescue, disaster relief, medical evacuation and non-combatant evacuations.

“The HH-60W Jolly Green II is critical to combat rescue forces conducting personnel recovery missions in some of the world’s most demanding environments,” said Darnell. “Our Airmen operate at the edge of the envelope – often in locations and conditions where others cannot go – with one enduring objective: to bring our people home.

“As such, combat rescue missions demand a dependable depot partner with a demonstrated record of quality, reliability and on-time delivery,” he continued. “Fleet Readiness Center East is the best match our requirements -- bringing proven aircraft-maintenance expertise, modern facilities, and a skilled workforce that understands the unique demands of helicopter sustainment. This new Air Force-FRC East collaboration will strengthen HH-60W readiness, enhance our fleet reliability, and reflect the Combat Rescue motto: ‘These things we do, that others may live.’”

FRCE was selected as the stateside depot source of repair for the HH-60W Jolly Green II in 2023. FRCE will conduct all airframe programmed depot maintenance for Jolly Green II aircraft located within the continental United States, which represents about 70% of the platform’s total expected workload.

The depot’s HH-60W team has been preparing for this induction for quite some time, said HH-60W Branch Head Travis Beamon.

“Our team has been preparing for this day since FRCE was selected for the workload in 2023,” said Beamon. “We’ve traveled to various bases, worked side-by-side with Air Force maintainers, and learned the technical specifics of this aircraft. Having this first helicopter in our hangar is the moment we’ve been working toward, and we are more than ready to get to work.”

While this is the platform’s first induction at the facility, it is not the team’s first HH-60W maintenance event. FRCE has been performing in-service repairs on the HH-60W Jolly Green II for nearly a year now. In-service repairs are unscheduled, targeted repair requests triggered by a specific fleet issue. Beamon said the in-service repairs helped prepare the team for this initial induction.

“In-service repairs gave us a good introduction to this aircraft. This induction, however, is a significantly more in-depth maintenance event,” said Beamon. “We are going over every single part with a fine-tooth comb. We aren’t focused on fixing one specific thing; we are focused on fixing everything before we give the aircraft back to the fleet. We completely disassemble the aircraft, removing all paint, parts and components – including fuel, hydraulics and electronics. Then we perform thorough structural evaluations and repair any defects. After reassembly, it undergoes final operational and flight checks to ensure it is mission ready. It’s a systematic and rigorous process to restore the aircraft and to give it a full refresh before it goes back to the fleet.”

Transitioning to the advanced combat rescue helicopter has been a rewarding milestone for the artisans on the shop floor, many of whom previously maintained the legacy UH-1N Huey platform. Ryan James, aircraft maintainer on the depot’s HH-60W line, said this transition is a familiar one.

“It feels really good to be working on this platform again,” said James. “I worked on H-1s back when I was in the military and did HH-60 in-service repairs at Mid-Atlantic. My experience there has helped me a lot during this transition because I was already familiar with the aircraft. It’s great to be around them again, working on them, hands-on.”