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F-22 Raptor Crew Chief for a Day

Photo By Airman 1st Class Jonathan Sifuentes | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Melissa Ramiro, right, 154th Aircraft Maintenance...... read more read more

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN

08.21.2024

Story by Senior Airman Luis E. Rios Calderon and Airman 1st Class Jonathan Sifuentes

18th Wing

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – 154th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs showed 199th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Airmen what it’s like to be a crew chief for a day with hands-on experience.

Airmen with the 199th EFS shadowed F-22A Raptor’s crew chiefs and learned the various intricacies of the job.

“We saw how they do their checks, how to properly marshall an aircraft down the flightline and how to capture it after the flight,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Shikina, 199th EFS cyber noncommissioned officer in charge. “The event really offered that insight that their job isn't just launching a jet into the air, but making sure everything is squared away to keep everyone safe.”

Crew chiefs must be knowledgeable about every aspect of their assigned aircraft to properly and safely perform routine maintenance, complex repairs and inspections to keep the aircraft in working order and able to accomplish its mission after takeoff.

“In the Advanced Programs Office, we don’t regularly get to see that sort of stuff, and while we work together, we’re pretty far removed from the maintenance side of things,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Dana Ayala, 154th Wing information systems security officer. “But thanks to this opportunity we got to go see what crew chiefs do, gain that appreciation for all the work they put in, and see how our mission sets fit together to improve that cohesion.”

Not only are crew chiefs responsible for ensuring their command’s mission gets completed, but they are also responsible for their pilot’s safety each time they go off to fly the aircraft under their care.

Ayala said that the event gave her Airmen the chance to meet and interact with new people while learning how crew chiefs operate. The event also helped her Airmen think of new ways to improve processes that involve both maintenance and the Advanced Programs Office while furthering team cohesion, something she said they could extend to their home station in Hawaii.