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Gears, Grease & Gusts

  • Published
  • By 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Airman 1st Class Izcalli X Martinez
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  

When two Scott AFB vehicle maintainers deployed in support of a U.S. Southern Command mission, they weren’t sure what awaited them. 
 
All Senior Airman Avery Debeaucourt and Airman 1st Class Arthur Alva left with were their tools, their expertise, and orders that pointed them toward Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

But, once on the ground, the mission quickly came into focus – to help maintain a fleet of ground vehicles for a bare-base environment established on a foreign runway. These two 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance technicians were there to support the air missions operating in the Caribbean.

2 men standing at the large doors of a hangar. They are watching outside as a refueler approaches them.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Avery Debeaucourt and Airman 1st Class Arthur Alva, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance technicians, are on standby for a refueler on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Feb. 23, 2026. Debeaucourt and Alva often maintain refuelers to offer assistance to many military based aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Izcalli X Martinez)
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The conditions tested them immediately.

“We had all sorts of rubbish on the airfield, and were driving from the dirt to the airfield all the time. Tires were getting popped, and we had a vehicle ignite somehow,” said Alva. “Getting parts ordered [was difficult because] we didn’t have our normal process to access parts.”

With no traditional supply chain and replacement parts delayed by weeks, Debeaucourt and Alva improvised, turning limited resources into mission-ready equipment.

“Making it work even when you don’t have the resources to do it—is the best part,” said Debeaucourt.

This type of expeditionary operating environment often means blurring the lines between job descriptions, so when vehicle maintenance requirements slowed down they filled gaps wherever needed. This meant they filled in with Aerospace Ground Equipment shops to move generators, offload vehicles, and even repair some of their aging equipment. 

Alva said, “I don't think I’ll ever get that opportunity again since personnel out there were so limited.”

Being in the Caribbean climate, the challenges in Santo Domingo weren't all grease and gears. The humidity alone wore on equipment and 
Airmen alike. One specific R-11 refueler became infamous throughout the deployment.

“Every single time we would touch it, it would start pouring rain,” laughed Debeaucourt. “It became a big joke. Everyone would text us in the group chat: ‘Stop touching the truck!’” 
 
Their battle with the weather continued, collapsing a temporary canopy shelter when it started “to rain sideways.”
“I remember when we finally got some supplies from the base we flew out of, they threw a little canopy because we didn’t have an office or anything to work out of yet,” said Alva. “We had that thing set up for not even a day and then it started raining sideways, dumping. I get into another vehicle to get out of the rain because the canopy isn’t helping. Not even five minutes later, the canopy had collapsed from all the rain that had collected on it.”

2 men walk into a hangar. There is a firetruck inside of the hangar on the left. The inside looks dramatically darker than the outside.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Arthur Alva and Senior Airman Avery Debeaucourt, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance technicians, recently returned to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, after helping with a prestigious SOUTHCOM mission in the Caribbean. Alva and Debeaucourt maintain ground vehicles to provide Scott with mission ready equipment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Izcalli X Martinez)
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After the rain passed, the team had transitioned to using a safer and more reliable space for their office. And, despite the grueling pace, morale remained high, fueled by camaraderie and strong leadership.

“I even got a lieutenant to change a tire,” Alva joked. “He was not happy about it at first, and was even less happy about it afterwards, saying, ‘You made me sweat!’”

Both Airmen credited their leadership for keeping the mission smooth in an environment that was anything but. Ultimately, the mission success became a testament to their adaptability, trust and initiative. In the absence of perfect conditions, plans or supply chains, Debeaucourt and Alva did what maintainers have always done–kept the mission moving.