Photo By Kristen Pittman | Tech. Sgt. Cruz George, 803rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief,...... read more read more
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If it were not for the 803rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 815th Airlift Squadron “Flying Jennies” would just be the 815th Squadron “Jennies.”
From day-to-day preventative maintenance to complex repairs, the Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 803rd AMXS fulfill a vital role in ensuring the mission readiness of the 10 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 815th AS.
The squadron is primarily made up of crew chiefs and avionics, engine, hydraulics, and electrical and environmental shops that support the 815th’s tactical airlift mission at home and all over the globe.
Tech. Sgt. Cruz George, a dedicated crew chief for the squadron, and Staff Sgt. Travis Wood, an avionics technician, have both experienced firsthand the grind of home station support and the payoff of mission success off-station.
“As a dedicated crew chief, I am responsible for my aircraft,” he said. “I take it through letter checks, do the day-to-day inspections, coordinate any heavy maintenance needed, and I also coordinate with the production office if I need to schedule downtime or if I need to order parts and I know it will take the aircraft out of action.”
While crew chiefs like George perform and oversee routine maintenance, the other shops have more specific training in their respective areas in order to troubleshoot and repair more in-depth problems.
As an avionics technician, Wood said that if a crew chief reaches out to their shop or any of the other specialists about their aircraft, it’s probably grounded until they find a solution.
“In the avionics shop, we deal with anything that has indication displays, radios, antennas, and basically anything the plane uses to talk,” said Wood. “Our job is to troubleshoot issues beyond the scope of the crew chief’s knowledge in order to find a solution and get it back to the crew chief and back in the air.”
George, who has supported humanitarian missions in Central America and the Caribbean and a deployment in Southwest Asia spoke to the deep sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes with directly impacting real-world events.
“I’ve been to Panama and Honduras to support supply deliveries as well as Puerto Rico after they were hit by a really bad hurricane several years back,” he said. “Those missions and the deployment I went on really allowed me to see the big picture and see just how important it is to make sure my aircraft is ready to launch. Those missions resulted in long days, but the impact to people in need and combat support made it worth it.”
In addition to those real-world experiences, both maintainers have supported large-scale, Air Force, joint force, and contingency exercises in places such as Germany for Silver Arrow, Guam for Cope North, Greenland and Cuba. These exercises add to both the 803rd’s and the 815th’s interoperable capabilities with other units, branches, and partner and allied nations which supports national security guidance and its objective to remain competitive with and ahead of near-peer adversaries.
“One of the most memorable trips, though, was for the Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day several years ago,” said George. “We got to carry the Navy’s Leap Frogs and they parachuted into the stadium before the game.”
Both George and Wood joined the 403rd for very different reasons. George, who said he began working on cars as a hobby when he was just 12 years old, found the auto mechanic career path less and less sustainable, so he listened to his father, an Army veteran, who suggested he join the military where there are aircraft and vehicle maintenance career paths.
Wood, who started out on active duty as an avionics technician for F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, transitioned to the reserve to supplement his income while he attended Louisiana State University.
Despite different paths and slightly different disciplines, both maintainers agree that the benefits reaped from joining the Air Force far outweigh any of the hard experiences, and they also express a sense of fulfillment by seeing their hard work come to fruition in launches and mission success.
“When you become a part of maintenance, you know that you’re a part of something bigger,” said George. “When you generate that airpower, it gives you that feeling that you know that’s your plane or that you helped someone else’s plane launch to help those people or complete that mission.”
For those interested in pursuing a rewarding career field in aircraft maintenance or other career paths in the 403rd Wing, visit the Air Force’s recruiting page, the wing’s recruiting page to find a recruiter in the local area, or fill out this questionnaire (https://aha.cce.af.mil/referral?id=3910fe9a-57a8-40ce-800d-8f55ca53596f).
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2024 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 478928 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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