Keeping them in the air

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Zach Jacobs
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Oklahaoma --  It's a brisk, windy morning in mid-March, as an overcast sky and a burgeoning sunrise  tussle on the horizon.

Stadium-style lights illuminate portions of the flightline on the Reserve side of Tinker Air Force Base. 

On any given morning, it's commonplace to see a half dozen KC-135 Stratotanker airplanes parked in predesignated spots from the Reserve portion of the flightline.

But unlike the usual formation the tankers take on the flightline, one of them, Number 3503, sits a few degrees cockeyed from its nearly 50-year-old sister aircraft.

A half-dozen Airmen -- air reserve technicians and guardsmen alike -- brave the breeze and hitch 3503 to a yuke, or aircraft towing vehicle, to angle the plane to a specific direction: headfirst into the 20-knot-strong wind.

Another four enlisted Airmen and one civilian sit inside the cockpit and examine the plane's on-board instruments to ensure the plane is pointed directly into the wind.

Another Airmen attaches a blue device, about the size of a small lunchbox, to the side of Engine Three.

Meanwhile, two more Airmen set up a diesel-powered electric generator and lay down an orange extension cord from the tip of the plane's right wing to the interior of the plane,
where a Panasonic Toughbook and what looks like an paramedic's emergency kit sit ten feet behind the cockpit.

Although it seems like these maintainers from the 507th Maintenance Squadron are about to give life-saving shocks with an industrial-sized automated external defibrillator to a two-ton engine, they're actually performing diagnostic work that helps keep these 50-plus-year-old tankers flying and refueling.

And these Airmen do their jobs not only with expertise and flair, but also with a very positive attitude.

Tech. Sgt. Robbie Irvin, a full-time guardsman with the 137th Maintenance Squadron, compares the diagnostic work the crew is doing -- fan blade calibration -- to balancing a
new or repaired tire on a car. This process, he said, is much more complicated, though.

Irvin said that the computer tells technicians where to put weights on the rear spinner cone to correct the engine's blade balance.

There are 24 balancing spots on the cone, said Irvin, and technicians will install small weights on those spots to ensure proper, balanced spinning of the fan assembly.

When asked about his reasons for being a maintainer, fourday-
long work weeks and camaraderie were two of Irvin's main reasons. However, he said he said a sense of accomplishment and achievement, especially on trips or deployments, were a gratifying reason to stay maintaining.

Tech. Sgt. Nick Charles is an ART and a second-generation maintainer. After six years working on the C-130 in active duty, Charles transitioned over to the Reserve, one
of the best decisions he's says he's made.

Charles has been with the 507th since October 2009 and enjoys not only the gratification of fixing planes, but also "the challenge of being able to troubleshoot."

And as a non-commissioned officer, he's thinking about future generations of maintainers.

"I want to raise up people under me that, instead of complaining, want to fix things," said Charles.

Charles advised any Airman, not just maintainers, when creating processes, to "make it where anyone can take over" if they were to leave.

John Brown, another ART, joined the 507th in January. As a traditional reservist at Dover Air Force Base, Del., he worked on the C-5. In his civilian life, he worked various jobs, ranging from an engine mechanic to managing a concrete plant.

So, when he was offered an ART maintainer's job at Tinker Air Force Base, Brown said he said "yes" as quickly as he could.

Brown said his 507th MXS chain of command and  peers are "willing to give you what you need." He added that upon his arrival here, whether with moving to his new house or with training on maintaining a new airframe, the folks at the 507th "made me feel welcome."

And Tech. Sgt. Bryan Jones, a four-year ART with the 507th, moved from working on F-15 and F-16 aircraft in active duty to KC-135s with the Reserve.

Jones said the transition was "very simple," since those three aircraft use the same core engine. Jones said being an ART is the "best kept secret" in the Air Force, adding that one can get "all the benefits, but still be a civilian...it's the best of both worlds."

"We help supplement the active duty Air Force and we do it for much cheaper," said Charles.

So what does the 507th MXS senior leadership say about their Airmen?

Senior Master Sgt. Rodney Mesenbrink, propulsion flight chief, said his Airmen are "hungry for knowledge."

"These are some of the most eager-to-learn young folks I've seen since I've been here," said the 25-year veteran of the 507th.

A diverse group of people comprise this squadron, said Mesenbrink, but they look past their personal backgrounds and other work experiences to "get the job done and done well."