Photo By Sgt. Jeanne Bujalski | Sgt. Tyler Zelenski, a helicopter repairer with the 1109th Theater Aviation...... read more read more
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Embarking on his first deployment with the Connecticut National Guard’s 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, Sgt. Tyler Zelenski was excited to be able to work on multiple aircraft and put his 13 weeks of military occupational specialty-specific training to good use.
As an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopter repairer, Zelenski said his job is to maintain the aircraft. Since arriving in Kuwait, he has worked on helicopter’s blades and maintained its overall appearance. He has also been part of a flight crew doing daily aircraft inspections to make sure nothing is wrong with the helicopters.
Zelenski is 22 years old and is from Groton, Connecticut. He lives near the 1109th TASMG and works there as a full-time technician for his civilian job. He enjoys working for the Guard because he is able to gain technical skills that will be beneficial to his future. This job also allows him to be a full-time crew member and go out on flight missions.
"I’ve always loved flying, and my ultimate goal was to be a pilot. I wanted to be one since I was younger when I would see the helicopters flying over my house; because I lived so close to the unit in CT [Connecticut],” said Zelenski.
He deployed in December and has worked at Camps Arifjan and Buehring in Kuwait and Afghanistan. He credits working with the 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment at Camp Buehring as an important part of his deployment because he has gained leadership skills and learned more extensive aircraft skills while serving in his assigned position.
“Working with the guys there, I was able to experience what is was like to be a member of a flight crew. They are very precise about inspections and everything about the aircraft getting worked on. It gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to work with a flight company every day,” said Zelenski. “They are very strict about you taking your work seriously and not always having to ask someone for help. I’ve talked to some of the pilots, and they’ve given me some insight about what it’s like to fly every day.”
Although Zelenski has had many positive experiences so far in his deployment, he admits that sometimes it’s been hard being away from his family and having to take on different tasks, especially ones where he’s had to learn quickly. “At the beginning of the deployment, when we were sent to Kandahar with the 101st Airborne, it was definitely a stressful but eye-opening experience, as we were working long days with the aircraft guys,” said Zelenski.
Zelenski has also learned new operating systems on this deployment. One such system is Federal Logistics Data. FEDLOG is the logistics information system designated by the government for retrieving parts from federal logistics information system databases. “When I was in Bagram [Afghanistan], I was able to learn a lot about what goes on in the supply side of a deployment. I now feel like I’m proficient in using FEDLOG and know how to tag and identify parts just by looking at them.”
Zelenski was especially proud of being promoted from specialist to sergeant while deployed. He joined the Guard in 2012, and he said this promotion was something he has been looking forward to for a long time.
Zelenski was already a squad leader for his platoon when he attended the Basic Leadership Course at Camp Buehring. “It [the course] taught me how to go about doing things efficiently and having people rely on me. Getting my E-5 [a sergeant’s pay grade] was awesome. I was previously struggling with my PT [physical training] when I first got to the unit. But, I kept at it and have improved significantly. I’m still getting used to people calling me sergeant, but I’m happy to be taking on another level of responsibility.”
Reflecting on his time spent while deployed, Zelenski appreciated getting closer to the great people in the unit he’s met over the months, especially other Polish-American soldiers.
Zelenski says he wants to eventually become a UH-60 Black Hawk repairer, an MOS of 15T. “My MOS is going away. And since I work on mostly Black Hawks at the home unit, there is more room for me to expand my job experience.”
Although he is unsure about where his life will take him in the future, he would like to stay with the Guard for the long run. “I plan on staying in, but I’m unsure how my life will turn out. I’ve always wanted to be a high school history teacher. And maybe after I’ve done my time with the Guard, I could go and do that.”
| Date Taken: | 07.05.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.05.2016 07:23 |
| Story ID: | 203096 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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