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One team, one fight

Photo By Kenneth Wright | Senior Airman Thomas Ribeiro (R), 60th Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight, delivers a...... read more read more

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA, UNITED STATES

11.22.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Daniel Phelps and Kenneth Wright

349th Air Mobility Wing

Between the two of them, there is more than 50 years of combined Air Force experience. Yet, Senior Master Sgt. John Young, 60th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment flight chief, was experiencing something unique at Travis Air Force Base, California, which he hadn’t seen in his career. He is partnered with a Reserve AGE flight chief from the 349th MXS, Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Willson.
The AGE unit at Travis works as a single meshed unit, combining the 60th and 349th MXS’s active duty, Reservists and civilian mechanics.
“AGE mechanics are the best mechanics in the Air Force,” said Willson, explaining the career field. “A lot of the equipment I’m fixing now is the same equipment I used daily as a jet engine mechanic. I didn’t’ respect it as much then, but I have a lot of respect for it now.”
The Airmen deal with electronics, fuel systems, A/C units; and they work with the systems from start to finish. They are required to have a wide array of skills, working with troubleshooting, schematics, wiring diagrams, hydraulic schematics, flow charts and more.
Civilians, air reserve technicians, active duty and traditional Reservists all work together, side by side, on maintaining around 500 pieces of more than 50 different types of equipment here, Young explained.
In his travels to other installations, the Citizen Airman said he hasn’t seen anything like what they have at Travis and has noticed the positive effect of the total force integration in action.
Most bases have so much work stacked up that they have to set deadlines for when pieces need to be done, explained Willson.
“Here, we don’t have deadlines,” he continued. “Because of the experience of the ARTs and civilians, combined with the active duty Airmen, we have the knowledge to fix things. Everyone learns from each other. We eliminate the need for deadlines.”
Young said the amount of knowledge brought to the table is invaluable.
“Our human capital is more than 100 years of experience, it’s fantastic,” he reiterated.
New Airmen are able to work side by side with seasoned mechanics at Travis and glean from their years of knowledge on the equipment here, Young exclaimed.
“You can’t put a price on that,” he continued.
Willson was a 20-year aircraft engine mechanic before he transitioned into the AGE career field.
“The work they do here is amazing,” he said.
Willson recalled being blown away his first day in the AGE shop.
“The first thing I saw when I walked in was all of the equipment that needed to get done that week,” he described. “I thought, ‘There is no way they are going to get this all done.’ It was during a phase inspection. I had no idea what AGE entailed before. I just abused the equipment, gave it to them, and got it back as if brand new.”
The two chiefs explained how both the active and the Reserve units bring strengths to the table.
“The Reservists and the civilians are my statics and stability for the workforce,” Young said. “I rely on them for a lot. If you really want to be a true master craftsman in your trade, you have to be at one place at least a decade. With active duty, I can lose someone for a deployment or PCS at any time.”
However, the stability the Reservists and civilians bring, can also lead to stagnation, Willson explained.
“It’s easy to keep doing things the same way because that’s the way it’s always been done,” he said. “That’s where we really need the active duty.”
The active duty Airmen bring in a fresh perspective to the way the shop runs, said Young. When someone comes in from another unit, they can bring in a new way of thinking from another base to keep things fresh.
“When you’re the new eyes, it’s easy to see ways to improve,” he added. “I’ve learned a lot from the integration of this shop. This is my first time working in an integrated shop. I’ve learned so much more about the total force concept here. Here you experience it.”
Young and Willson teach their troops to think as a singular unit.
“What makes or breaks an AGE shop is the top and middle management,” Willson said. “I tell them, ‘Think of this like a family business, what would you do to make this successful?’ We don’t divide, we work together and make sure we get along.”
Young reiterated with the family concept.
“We are a family,” he said. “We all do the same job. We all barbeque together. A couple of the ARTs are our grill sergeants. They are very good at it.”
The diversity of the work force is what makes the AGE shop at Travis so strong, Young continued.
“Knowing where each puzzle piece fits, knowing we all complete the same job – This is the reality of our Air Force – we need Reserves, we need civilians, we need active duty,” he said.

Vignettes

The Air Force relies on the concept of Total Force Integration – active duty, civilians and Reserve all working together to accomplish one mission. Few shops exemplify that concept as well as the Aerospace Ground Equipment units at Travis Air Force Base. They work seamlessly to get the job done. Here are four troops who help that work flow.

The Traditional Reservist

Like many traditional reservists, Senior Airman Justin Mallory entered the Reserve with an active duty enlistment already under his belt, so when he showed up to work with 349th Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight this year, it felt like home.
“I missed it,” Mallory said. “The camaraderie, the structure. We’re all headed in the same direction, toward the same goal. That’s tough to find elsewhere.”
Mallory says he likes to stay busy and get things right, which makes him a good fit for the Air Force Reserve, and a good fit for AGE, where there’s never a shortage of work, or new things to learn.
To put it simply, stuff breaks, and when AGE stuff breaks, it leaves a wide wake on the flightline. Pre-flight checks stop, maintenance stops, it all stops. As the saying goes, “there’s no airpower without ground power,” and Mallory is enjoying doing his part to keep the power during his seasoning training that is refreshing his skills after an 11 year break in service.
“Every time I accomplish a task, it wakes a memory of those old skills. I love fixing things, so that’s why I chose AGE. We are a seamless part flightline operations, and I love being part of that effort.”
Airmen who don’t work around aircraft probably never noticed that unlike commercial airline mechanics who repair their jets in hangars, Air Force jet mechanics are most often found working on a flightline at all times of day, in all types of weather.
Mallory says he has a lot of respect for aircraft maintainers and aircrews and the work they do, so he always wants to do his best for them.
“We want them to be able to get their jobs done, so we work hard to get it right. For me, it’s really a matter of pride to things well, and to support the mission with my best work. They need to be able to rely on me, because a lot relies upon them.”

The Civilian

After nearly 30 years of repairing aircraft ground equipment, there aren’t many people more qualified than Ronnie Leonen, of the 60th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight. Yet the retired master sergeant’s contributions are so much more to his integrated AGE shop than just his technical skills, he’s a veritable book of knowledge for Airmen walking in his footsteps.
“I still love the feeling of taking something that comes into the shop broken, and sending it back ‘good to go,’ but maybe the most gratifying part of my job today is helping Airmen grow in their careers,” said Leonen.
When Leonen and his team get to work each day, they hit the ground running, working to serve both the needs of their customers and the needs of their Airmen.
“We look at what work we need to accomplish, and compare it to what training needs we have,” he said. “That way, for example, reservists who are here for a limited amount of time will have a chance to get experience they need for their upgrade training.”
Working in an AGE shop with active duty, civilians and reservists requires more coordination than before, but it also has more benefits than during Leonen’s active-duty career.
“We have a wider pool of experience and knowledge to access, which only serves to make us each better at what we do, and hopefully more flexible and efficient, as well,” said Leonen, “which is especially helpful when our active-duty Airmen are called upon to deploy.”
Looking back at his Air Force career, Leonen says he’s grateful to have received so much. Now, taking care of Airmen who are navigating the demands of an Air Force career is a great opportunity to give back.
“The Air Force saved my life,” he said. “So when I see an Airman in need, I’m just glad to be around to help. I want to help them succeed, because when they succeed, AGE succeeds, and when AGE succeeds, we all succeed.”

The Air Reserve Technician

If Non-Commissioned Officers are the backbone of the Air Force, Air Reserve Technician NCOs are its nervous system, coordinating messages and sending orders to make everything function smoothly.
Working as a mechanic came naturally to Tech. Sgt. Cody Etcheverria, but he said he’s found his niche as an ART with the 349th Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight.
“My biggest responsibility is to take care of traditional reservists,” said Etcheverria, “so I work hard to make sure everyone’s unit training assemblies are productive. I want to set them up for success.”
AGE allows mechanics to spread their wings and learn about many different areas of the job, like electrical, mechanical and hydraulics. There is a lot of ground to cover, so planning is key to making it all come together on schedule. As an ART, Etcheverria gets involved in a lot of different areas; orders, funding, training, it all has to be constantly considered to get the greatest benefit to the unit and the Airmen.
“With a smaller Air Force, reservists have helped the active duty keep up with the workload. They appreciate the help we contribute during UTAs, and I enjoy my role in facilitating that support. I know the needs of the mission would not change if reservists were not around to help. But there would just be a lot more work for the active duty and civilian force to accomplish.

The Active Duty Airman

Senior Airman Thomas Ribeiro, 60th Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight mechanic, grew up watching jets from Travis Air Force Base fly over his home, but it wasn’t the lure of the wild blue yonder that inspired him to serve, it was something else, rather someone else, much more down to earth.
“My grandfather was a great influence on me growing up,” said Ribeiro, “I really valued his way of thinking, and the pride he took in his service in the Navy during the war in Viet Nam.”
With gentle nudging, Ribeiro’s grandfather guided him toward the active duty Air Force when he confided in him that he was looking for a meaningful career.
Today, Ribeiro serves as a critical link between aircraft mechanics on the Travis flight line and the 60th Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight; a job that is meaningful to him, and many others.
“I’m sort of a rover, taking calls from mechanics on the flight line and coordinating equipment replacement, but I also jump in and repair things that can be knocked out in an hour or two. If it’s ‘hard broke’ we send it to Inspection and Repair,” said Ribeiro.”
Typically, his team fields about 60 to 70 calls a day from mechanics working on the flight line, repairing and preparing C-5M Super Galaxies, C-17 Globemasters and KC-10 Extenders for missions around the world.
“They need everything from generators and flood lights, to maintenance stands and heaters to do their work out there day and night, so we heed the will of the flightline,” said Ribeiro. “We take pride in repairing what’s broken and making it mission-ready again for our maintainers and aircrews.”
His job is anything but glamorous, but like his grandfather, Ribeiro doesn’t need a spotlight to know his work matters.
“I hope all Airmen find meaning in their service, no matter what their job, or the task at hand. Everything we do needs to be completed with pride. Excellence in all you do may sound a little cheesy to some people, but if you live it, you will find meaning in all you do.”