HURLBURT FIELD, Fla., -- As the sun sets over the flightline and most units have gone home for the night, maintenance Airmen are attending roll call and issued their tools before making their way out to aircraft to begin their shift.
Crew chiefs with the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit are
trained to diagnose malfunctions on the AC-130U Spooky Gunship during pre-flight and post-flight inspections, repair and refuel the aircraft, keep detailed records, marshal aircraft, to remain mission ready at all times.
“We are the jack-of-all trades,” said Senior Airman Corey Southerland, a crew chief with the 4th AMU. “We know general knowledge of engines, hydraulics, communications, and navigation, but we are more structural than anything.”
As the most deployed wing in the Air Force, Hurlburt Airmen ensure aircraft maintenance is a priority, from training new Airmen arriving to the 4th AMU, to providing air-worthy gunships to ground forces when needed.
“My responsibility right now is to train new Airmen arriving at the 4th on each task and how to do their job to the best of their ability,” Southerland said. “Overall, the 4th’s mission is to make sure these aircraft can generate at any moment for our aircrew while providing them a safe aircraft to use.”
Crew chiefs can face many challenges while on duty. Whether it is high temperatures, raining, freezing conditions, working with schedule changes or trying to stay clean, they will be on the flightline enduring difficulties, preparing the aircraft its next mission.
“This job is not for the faint of heart,” said Airman 1st Class Nolan Davis, a crew chief with the 4th AMU.
Although it can be tasking at times, the relationships that develop are a plus to the career, according to Southerland.
“We have a pretty good relationship with everyone,” said Southerland. “I mean, we’ll pick on each other every now and again, like siblings, but it’s a pretty tight group we have at the 4th.”
Ultimately, all the hard work, dedication and time crew chiefs put into maintaining aircraft, shows every time an aircraft embarks on a mission over the horizon.