48th Air Expeditionary Group goes full throttle Published Jan. 23, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania -- In deployed locations, fighter aircraft still need proper maintenance engine checks, and with no retail garages in sight, the Airmen of the 48th Air Expeditionary Group make sure that happens. Airmen of the 48th AEG recently applied their skills by installing a trim pad to be used by the four F-15C Eagle jets during the Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania, which began earlier this year. "We provide maintainers the ability to do work on jet engines," said Staff Sgt. Danny Carter, 435th Construction Training Squadron electrical power production journeyman, Ramstein Air Base Germany, deployed with the 48th AEG. "The pad helps test engines and find out problems the planes might have right away." During the BAP mission, the crew installed a special expeditionary trim pad. The temporary pad is used in deployed environments to assist pilots and maintainers during on-site testing of aircraft engines. The group stabilized the series of devices with 32 five-foot stakes in the ground. The pads are anchored to more than 200 feet of reinforced cable to ensure the plane remains in position when being tested. "These jets can go almost full throttle without affecting the pads or its cables," said Senior Airman Kyle Morris, 48th AEG power production journeyman. "Our job makes sure that the plane doesn't go anywhere during testing." After a series of successful tests on the Eagles using the expeditionary trim pad, crews were pleased with the results and newly gained knowledge. "This has been a very good experience for me and my team," said Morris. "By the time we leave here, I know my team will be even better at our job."