Tinker crew chief, Lexington native, keeps E-3 Sentry ready for deployed missions

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Senior Airman John Mason, E-3 Sentry crew chief with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Sentry aircraft maintenance unit, drives a "tug" while moving an E-3 into a parking space on the flightline during operations on the flightline for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia, March 23. Mason is deployed from the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and his hometown is Lexington, Ky.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

04.28.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- As an E-3 Sentry crew chief, he has know his plane from front to back to its distinct radar dome to the tires on the landing gear. For Senior Airman John Mason though, it's all in a day's work when he sees an E-3 take off on another combat air mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"To be ready for anything that can happen to this airframe, you have to know the 'ins' and 'outs' of it to know what to fix," said Mason, E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft crew chief with the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's Sentry aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Mason is deployed from the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and his hometown is Lexington, Ky. An aerospace maintenance journeyman by Air Force specialty, Airman Mason supports maintenance of the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft deployed with the 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron.

He supports the success of AWACS aircraft to fly combat missions in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility providing an airborne command and control capability. To keep the E-3 Sentry flying in the deployed areas, Airmen like Mason from the 380th EAMXS manage the maintenance of the E-3 -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"What a crew chief contributes to mission success is critical," Mason said. "We provide that link between the aircrew and the rest of maintenance in keeping the plane ready for its next mission."

According to its Air Force fact sheet, the E-3 Sentry is an aircraft with an integrated command and control battle management, or C2BM, surveillance, target detection, and tracking platform. The aircraft provides an "accurate, real-time picture" of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center.

AWACS aircraft provide situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied and coalition operations, the fact sheet states.

The official Air Force job description for aerospace maintenance journeyman shows Mason is trained on advising on problems maintaining, servicing and inspecting aircraft and aerospace support equipment. He also uses technical data to diagnose and solve maintenance problems on aircraft systems and he interprets and advises on maintenance procedures and policies to repair aircraft and support equipment.

Mason is also trained to test repaired components using mockups and test equipment and to adjust, align, rig and calibrate aircraft systems. He performs engine run-up, accomplishes weight and balance functions, and knows how to jacks, tows and service aircraft. Additionally, he supervises and performs aircraft and component inspections, interprets inspection findings and determines adequacy of corrective actions. It's a job, Mason said, that keeps him busy.

"It's a great job and always different," Mason said. "There's something different every day."

The 380th EAMXS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, 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: 04.28.2010
• Date Posted: 04.28.2010 04:12
• Story ID: 48805
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)