Photo By Cpl. Joshua Murray | A CH-46 Sea Knight from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 lands at Al Asad Air...... read more read more
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — For 17 years, Staff Sgt. James McGuinness has dedicated his life to keeping CH-46 Sea Knights, or "Phrogs," operational and their crews out of harm's way. From the smallest bolt to the most complex machinery under its steel membrane, he holds an unfaltering respect for and bond with the aircraft.
McGuinness has seen the good and the bad of serving as a Sea Knight crew chief, and although the aircraft nearly claimed his life years ago, he would tell anyone with the utmost allegiance, "The mighty battle Phrog is the best aircraft in the world."
McGuinness, who serves with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 or the "Purple Foxes," reached his 5,000th flight hour in the Sea Knight over the deserts of Iraq during a deployment aboard Al Asad Air Base, Jan. 12.
"The first time I flew it was unbelievable, and I had such a sense of freedom," McGuinness emphasized. "When we start slinging it around at low altitudes, it's the best thrill ride you could ever be on. If you've heard of a beach bum ... well I'm a total flying bum, and if I couldn't fly, I wouldn't want to be a Marine."
The only other Marine in the unit who has surpassed 5,000 flight hours is McGuinness' commanding officer, but the accomplishment they share has one very unique difference.
"His feat is so phenomenal because he's the only Marine I know of in recent history that has 5,000 hours in one airframe," explained Lt. Col. Robert Boucher, the commanding officer of HMM-364. "He's an extreme professional, dedicated to being a crew chief, and he knows more about that airframe than almost anyone I know. The wealth of knowledge and experience that he brings to us is absolutely unbelievable."
McGuinness' connection to the aircraft's inner and outer workings is so acute that he can pinpoint certain malfunctions by only his sense of touch.
"Whenever the aircraft starts up, I put my hand on the mix box attached to the transmission," said McGuinness. "When I put my hand on it, I should feel a nice hum to it, but if it starts to tickle, there's something wrong. If it gets hot, you know there's another problem. The biggest thing is the vibrations. It took years to learn, but if you just shut up, listen and really feel the aircraft, it can tell you what's wrong with it."
As McGuinness recalled the incident that nearly cost him his life, one main concern stirred in him. It was not fear of dying or the serious injuries that he would sustain, but only the family he could have lost.
"During the crash, I remember all that I could think of was my children," he reminisced. "I visualized [my wife] telling them I wasn't coming home and them crying. [My son] was born in February 1992, and [my younger son] was born June 1993, so they were only 4 and 3 at the time. It was pretty hard."
McGuinness sustained severe third degree burns and other minor injuries from the crash. He credits his swift recovery from the accident to one individual.
"My wife ... was shown how to dress the wounds and change the bandages," he mentioned. "Every day she would wake up, take care of the kids, change my bandages, make sure I was ok, and then got ready and went to work. She'd come home, get the kids from day care, change my bandages and take care of me. She did this for a month. If it wasn't for her, I never would have healed as quickly or as well as I did."
Although being away from his family takes its toll on McGuinness, he can't think of another place he'd rather be when not at home than the cargo hold of his Sea Knight.
"When we do operations out in the field, we sleep in the Phrog and call it the Boeing hotel," he chuckled. "When we were on ship, you could put the tail over the edge, get the radio playing and set up your hammock in the back. You'd have the ocean breeze and your music. It really is a home ... a comfortable one, and it's definitely my home away from home.
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.19.2010 08:03 |
| Story ID: | 44102 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,000 |
| Downloads: | 315 |
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