Preventing unnecessary spending one rock at a time Published Aug. 22, 2011 By Senior Airman Stuart West 99th Air Base Wing Safety Office NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Protecting aircraft from foreign objects or FOD prevention is something that is drilled into the minds of all maintainers. While many people off the flightline may not be familiar with the term, preventing FOD is one of the most important key factors in keeping smooth-running flying operations. To ensure FOD does not affect any aircraft here at Nellis Air Force Base, Airmen who work on the flightline participate in a daily FOD-walk. Every morning, before the first aircraft leaves the runway, flightline Airmen, from the ranking chief master sergeant to the newest airman basic, gather together to walk the flightline. The Airmen form up in a straight line, walk down the flightline slowly, and stop and pick up any rocks or debris they see along the way. Performing a daily FOD-walk may seem like an insignificant task, but the truth is that every item collected from the flightline could have caused millions of dollars worth of damage to an aircraft. Therefore, a FOD-walk is a crucial task that not only saves the government money, but it allows Nellis aircraft to fly safely, which enables our Airmen to maintain their skills and continue to provide two of our nation's most important Air Force assets: air and space superiority. So, the next time you see trash blowing around the base or a small object lying on the ground, pick it up, throw it away, and know that you are helping keep everyone safe by preventing such items from making their way over to the flightline.
