Photo By Brent Thacker | Airman 1st Class Christopher Kelley, a KC-135 crew chief from the 100th Aircraft...... read more read more
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SOUTHWEST EUROPE – The KC-135 Stratotanker was the U.S. Air Force’s first jet-powered refueling tanker, and the newest one in the service’s inventory was built in 1965.
The plane has seen action above countless areas of military operations worldwide, but without the attention and care of some seriously skilled maintainers, it wouldn’t have its astounding record of success.
When the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, was tasked to provide refueling support to French operations in Mali, leadership sent a small contingent of Stratotankers and enough maintainers to keep them flying. Since their boots touched the ground in southwest Europe Jan. 26, 2013, the airmen from the 100th Maintenance Group have worked around the clock to ensure the KC-135s are ready to launch on-time, every time, and deliver the gas necessary for waves of French fighters to complete their missions.
For some of the seasoned veterans on the flightline, the deployment is business as usual. For others, like Airman 1st Class Colton Williams, a KC-135 crew chief, it’s the first time he’s ever supported a real-world combat operation - an important milestone in a military career.
“Even though we aren’t on the front line, we’re still important to the mission,” said Williams, a Valley Springs, Calif., native, a few months from completing his first year in the Air Force.
As a maintenance apprentice, Williams’ job is primarily to learn by working alongside more experienced maintainers while training to become a valuable part of the maintenance team. A crew chief by trade, his focus is on the overall maintenance of the entire aircraft, ensuring it’s safe to fly and highlighting any issues to the crew of specialists with whom he works.
“For these technicians, a deployment like this is invaluable,” said Master Sgt. William Jancouskas, 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron production superintendent. “Not only do they get real-world, hands-on training, but they get the added bonus of knowing the plane they’re working on is heading out into actual combat missions. That’s a completely different feeling from sending an aircraft out on a training sortie over the local area around your home base.”
The master sergeant, a Castle Rock, Colo., native, said knowing the aircrews are flying into potentially dangerous locations adds to the already solid sense of the importance of the maintainers’ jobs.
“These crews may be flying over hostile countries they can’t just land in if something goes wrong,” he said. “With that in mind, we have to make sure everything on that jet is working perfectly, and that’s what we strive for every time we touch the airplane.”
Jancouskas added that being deployed gives the maintainers a little more pride in what they do.
“In tankers, this is pretty much as close as we get to the front lines,” he said.
As is the case with almost any deployment, crews – both on the ground and in the air – are forced to work outside their comfort zones to complete a mission different than the one they’re used to at home. The airmen deployed in support of the French operation in Mali are no different, and leadership at all levels has taken notice.
“We’re at a 100 percent mission capable rate, and that’s no small feat,” said Lt. Col. Heather Baldwin, 351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron commander. “Our allies are counting on those tankers to be right where they need them so they can top off their tanks and continue their mission. Without our maintainers, that wouldn’t be possible.”
KC-135s began operating out of southwest Europe Jan. 27, 2013, at the request of the French government. The KC-135s are providing air-to-air refueling support to French aircraft conducting military operations in Mali. The air-to-air refueling expands the operational capability of French aircraft by allowing them to remain airborne for extended periods of time.
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2013 14:01 |
| Story ID: | 101448 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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