Photo By Staff Sgt. Elliot Boutin | A hand drawn color schemed legend of schematics for a K loader vehicle is used to...... read more read more
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Some people find their niche in life and pursue it wherever it takes them. Tech. Sgt. Christopher Wood, the non-commissioned officer in charge of heavy vehicles and equipment in the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron, came to New Hampshire and became a heavy vehicle and equipment mechanic.
Wood said being a full-time mechanic for Pease Air National Guard Base fits into his lifestyle while also supporting the mission of the 157th Air Refueling Wing.
"(Being a mechanic) was my first job as a kid. Ten years old, living in Iowa," Wood said. "Out there, this is what you do. I've been doing this work my entire life. I've been here, at Pease, since I was 17 years old, 16 years in this shop."
His passion for mechanical work follows him off-duty by participating in "performance bro" culture. He currently owns 12 vehicles, tuning his 1991 MR2 Toyota whenever he gets the chance.
"It really comes down to what I want the car to do," Wood said. "I've owned over 100 cars at this point. With this car, I race with it. I've had it up to 800 horsepower at one point, but I brought it down to 350 for reliability."
Wood is impressed with his team's dedication. To him, their tenacity is unmatched. Finishing a job might take months due to sourcing parts and researching what has worked for other heavy mechanics across the world.
"The issues that take some heavy vehicles out of the fleet can come down to tiny things," Wood said. "These issues make our job really wild and complex. The schematics for some of these vehicles are more like guidelines because they are over 30 years old."
Part of what makes his job rewarding is the lack of clear schematics and uniformity of the vehicles he and his team maintain at Pease. This dynamic gives his Airmen almost complete control over how to fix the vehicles and equipment.
"We have smart guys on our team," Wood said. "Which is good because of the large variety of things we maintain. Lots of crazy stuff. Anything from side-by-sides to fire engines to de-icing trucks. We have a great team."
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2024 14:28 |
| Story ID: | 473774 |
| Location: | NEWINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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