Photo By Charles Haymond | Staff Sgt. Zachary Warner, 55th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron integrated avionics...... read more read more
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OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- As technology broadens, the Air Force’s methodology of flying aircraft and the various ways they accomplish the mission is continuously evolving.
The responsibility of maintaining all aspects of flight is reviewed and analyzed. The instruments used to ensure everything from the GPS to in-flight warning systems are kept by the maintainers who are assigned to their aircraft--meeting the standards and performing flawlessly.
“To me, a maintainer isn’t just someone who fixes the airplanes when they encounter something wrong,” said Staff Sgt. Zachary Warner, 55th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron integrated avionics craftsman. “A maintainer is someone who will stop at nothing to make sure the aircraft they’re assigned to is in the best possible condition it can be. Whether it be replacing a simple screw or a big periodic inspection, nothing is looked over and our attention to detail ensures the aircraft stay flying even after 60 plus years of service.”
Warner said the reason why he became a maintainer is because the job description sounded exciting, he is good with technology and knew Avionics was right up his alley.
“I joined the Air force to travel and to finish my degree,” he said. “My father was in the Army and always tells me how he wished he stayed in, so that sparked my interest. Also, a close family friend also influenced me to join the Air Force since he was in the service and told me about all the opportunities.”
Warner experienced difficulties while learning the job of maintaining an aircraft.
“Some of the challenges I faced becoming the maintainer I am today include being halfway across the country from my family, learning all the different systems on the RC-135’s, finding the differences between the aircraft variants, and working with other shops to diagnose issues,” he said. “As a brand-new maintainer never knowing these planes existed, it was also a bit of a culture shock seeing all the behind the scenes work that goes into keeping these planes flying.”
Warner was able to overcome those challenges he experienced with the help of the other Airmen who arrived on Offutt with him and the non-commissioned officer in charge that mentored him.
We spend eight hours together every day, so I developed a second family; however, even with that support his mother was anxious about his new military life that would take him overseas, he said.
“When Zachary called me to tell me he was being sent to overseas, I was devastated,” Amanda Warner said. “My only child, who has never been out of the United States was being sent somewhere I knew nothing about. I was a nervous wreck until I received a text saying “I made it! I’m ok”. That was the first sigh of relief I had in days.”
She knew the Air Force would take care of him and he would be safe while deployed.
“As the trip went on, we were able to hear about everything Zachary was experiencing,” she said. “Then more trips came and each one of them was an adventure for us. I love and cherish each text, call, FaceTime and pictures of the places he’s gone. Proud to be the mother of such a positive, confident, intelligent and caring person makes me feel like I did good a good job.”
The Air Force has changed their lives for the better, she said. “I look forward to the many more places Zachary will go throughout his Air Force career and will always support him.”
In early March, Offutt experienced a winter storm blizzard that impacted the base. Warner and the other maintainers had to make sure the RC-135 aircraft were cleared to maintain Offutt’s important mission.
“We had multiple engine covers get blown off with the high winds as well as an antenna break,” Warner said. “Just getting out to the flight line itself was a challenge, as everything was a solid sheet of ice, and the high winds made it unsafe for vehicles to be on. All maintenance stopped until the ice was cleared. It wasn’t until after everything was cleared that I could go out to assess the broken antenna and even then, there were icy patches that could’ve made me slip if I wasn’t careful, so I had to be extremely cautious with everything I was doing.”
Once everything was cleared, the mission resumed, and the aircrews were able to execute the 55th Wing missions worldwide.
“Maintainers at Offutt are vital to our no-fail mission because we don’t like taking no for an answer,” Warner said. “Additionally, us maintainers will stop at nothing to get the job done. It doesn’t matter if it takes an extra hour or two to replace a part, our focus is safe and compliant maintenance to get the job done right the first time.”
Maintainers are critical to continuing the mission and without their expertise Offutt ‘s flying mission could cease.
“A lot of people don’t know exactly what it is that we do, and how much effort gets put into our job every single day,” he said. “Whether its freezing cold, blistering hot, snowing, raining, or a perfectly sunny day, we are out working on the RC-135 fleet ensuring they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. Our technical and mechanical skills far exceed anything I would have ever expected, and in my eyes, we are the unsung heroes that keep the planes flying even after 60 years.”
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 495344 |
| Location: | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE , NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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