SOUTHWEST ASIA -- In a deployed location, flightline maintenance operations include those Airmen who work directly on planes in aircraft maintenance and then there are others who provide the aerospace ground equipment, or AGE, to make the entire flow of operations continue smoothly.
Senior Airman Trevor White is an aerospace ground equipment journeyman with the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. White and his fellow AGE Airmen in the 380th EMXS provide the expertise and AGE operations support for the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing which is home to the KC-10 Extender, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft.
"As an AGE troop, I troubleshoot and repair ground equipment including but not limited to generator systems, air conditioning units, hydraulic systems, diesel engines, gas engines, turbine engines, light carts, bomb lifts, air start systems, liquid oxygen systems, nitrogen generation, as well as deliver equipment to aircraft for take-off and recovery," said White, who is deployed from the 552nd Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
According to his official Air Force job description, Airmen like White perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on AGE and they inspect, test and operate AGE to determine equipment serviceability and proper operation. They also diagnose mechanical and electronic circuitry malfunction using visual and auditory senses, test equipment, and technical publications. Additionally, they remove, disassemble, repair, clean, treats for corrosion, assemble and re-install AGE accessories and component.
AGE maintenance Airmen also service equipment with fuel, oil, coolant, water, hydraulic fluid and air, the job description states. They operate, clean, inspect and service AGE towing vehicles and provide dispatch service for AGE, including positioning equipment to support aircraft maintenance and flying operations.
Furthermore, White is trained to use an automated maintenance system to monitor maintenance trends, analyze equipment requirements, maintain equipment records and document maintenance actions. He analyzes and repairs ground support equipment using conventional and digital multimeters, voltmeters, ohmmeters, frequency counters, oscilloscopes, circuit card testers, transistor testers and hand tools. He also maintains external fuel and grounding systems and plans and organizes AGE maintenance activities through establishes production controls and standards.
White said without Airmen like him on the job making sure AGE equipment is ready to go, operations would not flow smoothly. "Our deployed aircraft would not be able to regenerate in order to support mission capabilities without our servicing equipment," he said.
When he left Mont Belvieu, Texas, more than four years ago to join the Air Force and the military, White said he was glad about the decision he made to join and will continue to serve proudly.
"I joined the military for respect for my country," White said. "I love what I do. I don't do it for the money or benefits -- I do it for what it stands for so others may have the freedoms commonly taken granted for."
White is also on his second deployment with the 380th EMXS. He said being deployed offers that opportunity to contribute directly to deployed combat operations.
"This is my second time here and I plan on coming back again to learn more about how I can excel, promote and make a difference in today's Air Force," White said. "There is no better feeling than knowing that I am a part of saving other service members lives on the front lines by helping get our airplanes out on their designated missions."
The 380th EMXS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, air battle management, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
Date Taken: | 05.28.2010 |
Date Posted: | 05.28.2010 06:23 |
Story ID: | 50419 |
Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
Web Views: | 287 |
Downloads: | 246 |
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