Photo By Staff Sgt. Madelyn McCullough | Staff Sgt. Thomas Mariano (left) and Staff Sgt. Kenneth O'Callaghan (right), 446th...... read more read more
When teams are assembled to accomplish a project or goal, their success can be measured by the chemistry within.
In the Air Force, it’s no different. Airmen across the globe collectively achieve its mission by sustaining an integrative, flexible and rapidly mobile force.
Citizen Airmen from the Rainier Wing demonstrated this ability by providing maintenance support for the 725th Air Mobility Squadron here Feb. 14-28, 2016.
In order to meet annual training requirements, Reservists with the 446th Airlift Wing’s maintenance and aircraft maintenance squadrons, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, assisted 725th AMS Airmen. This mobility squadron’s distinctive role is to perform en-route maintenance operations for aircraft traveling to forward operating locations.
“We’re providing real global support functioning away from home station,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joe Warren, 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron team leader. “This allows us to showcase our skills in a deployed environment, share what we know outside of McChord, and learn from our host [unit]. It also gives us the ability to focus on production.”
Traditional Reservists don’t always get the option to train on the flightline during drill weekends. Some may have to fulfill their commitments in a classroom-type environment or on a computer.
“We get here and do our job, instead of training to do our job,” said Tech Sgt. Lebaron Smith, 446th AMXS Instrument Flight Control Systems technician. “We get more experience and get people trained to do things by the book, fast and safe. When the time comes down to it and we need to be [mobilized], we need those skills.”
Real-world environments also allow Airmen to learn from each other because of the background variances between the Reserve and regular Air Force units. The 446th AMXS mission is exclusive to the C-17 Globemaster III airframe. However, performing at an en-route base demands general knowledge of multiple aircraft.
“[Reserve maintainers] are a huge help,” said Senior Master Sgt. Cameron Leslie, 725th Aircraft Maintenance Unit production superintendent. “We’re learning a lot from them. They’re providing a lot of experience and teaching us a lot of specific career field aspects. On the flip side, we get a chance to give them some experience outside their specialty.”
These two units also exhibited effective teamwork within the aerospace ground equipment function. With the 725th having a lower number of Airmen certified at higher skill levels, they reaped the benefits of having qualified Reservists strengthen them.
“They bring pure magic,” said Staff Sgt. Tate Stark, aerospace ground equipment, or AGE, journeyman with the 725th AMS. “Whenever they come out here, they have the technical expertise to get our equipment back on the flightline where we’ve been struggling.”
The opportunity to share this expertise excites Master Sgt. John Ziegler, 446th MXS, AGE NCO in charge, because at home he isn’t spared much time away from his desk.
“Being the NCOIC, I don’t get my hands on equipment much anymore, but my hands were dirty up to my elbows this morning,” he said. “It gives me time back on the equipment, gets me out of the office duties, and gets me back into what I really like to do – get dirty.”
This also enabled the McChord Reservists to teach and learn from each other, in addition to the active-duty crews.
“I get to help other career fields here, whereas back home I’m with crew chiefs,” said Sgt. Francis Aguon, 446th AMXS crew chief. “I’m building better relationships with the people in my unit. They have more in-depth knowledge, and I can pick their brains.”
The two-week tour operated without major issues, and the teams blended with ease.
“The greatest challenge we had was the time change,” Warren said. “My goals were to ensure we integrated with the 725th seamlessly to support the local mission, come away with some new ideas, and ensure everyone gets experience to work at an en-route location. It was a great success.”
During the tour at Rota, the McChord crew supported more than 50 inbound and outbound aircraft, which carried nearly 1.4 million pounds of cargo and more than 300 passengers.
“We represented the unit professionally and were able to showcase our skill set in supporting the local mission,” Warren said. “We were well received by the 725th and look forward to working with them in the future in a similar capacity.”
The 725th team had mutual feelings, Leslie said.
“We’re all one team,” he said. “We do everything together. This is a chance to highlight and show the Air Force that when necessary, as active duty, Guard, or Reserve, we can integrate – and we can do it immediately.”
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2016 10:59 |
| Story ID: | 216329 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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