Photo By Airman 1st Class Mariette Adams | KC-135 Stratotanker 63-7979 rests on the flight line as the sun rises over the coast...... read more read more
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Most aircraft in the Air Force's inventory have the names of two individuals painted on them – the aircraft commander and the crew chief charged with ensuring the plane is ready to fly at a moment’s notice.
The work done by these maintenance professionals is worth more than just a simple tip of the hat. It has earned them a spot on the plane next to the pilot, because just as the aircraft would not be able to fly without the pilot, the same is true for the crew chief.
Staff Sgt. Justin Worcester’s name is painted on the side of KC-135 Stratotanker, tail number 63-7979, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
This is the first jet that Worcester has been able to call his own. It took years of knuckle-busting hard work and the confidence of an entire maintenance group to earn the honor of having his name affixed to its nose.
As the Air Force’s KC-135 fleet continues to show signs of age, like Worcester’s 55-year-old jet, it’s no easy job keeping them mission ready. It takes sweat, dedication and extreme attention to detail to keep these relics in the sky.
“Working as a crew chief is the most rewarding job in the Air Force,” said Worcester. “Mobility transport aircraft wouldn’t be able to move mission essential cargo around the world, and tanker aircraft wouldn’t be able to perform aerial refueling missions to extend the flights of our nation’s warfighters without our work.
"Although it takes a lot to maintain our refuelers, I wake up each and every day knowing that what I do aids a higher mission. What I do makes a difference around the world."
For Worcester and crew chiefs alike, making this difference around the world is no easy task - the days are long and the jobs are often difficult.
Worcester has a long day and it starts before the sun is up. The local stores are closed and the roads he travels rarely show signs of life. Pulling into work, he can smell jet fuel in the air and hear the bustle of other maintainers on the flight line.
He meets with the maintainers from the prior shift to go over what has been done and what still needs to be accomplished to get these multi-million dollar birds in the sky later that day. With a better understanding of the condition of his jet, Worcester and his team check out tools and walk out to finish what the other shift had started.
From wheel, landing gear, and brake inspections to electronic systems and airframe structural integrity checks, he must ensure that his attention to detail never falls short of impeccable.
As he runs his hands down different joints and seams of the jet to check for damage to the airframe, he connects with the jet. He feels a sense of pride. Even as the loud roar of the aerospace ground equipment makes it hard to think and the chill from the mid-January weather coupled with a sea breeze make it unbearable to be outside, he perseveres.
“Although at times it can be hard with the long hours in the elements, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” said Worcester. “For decades, other crew chiefs have fought through the elements and long hours. They left big shoes to fill.”
As the sun rises over the Hillsborough Bay, his job nears a close. The aircrew meets with him and his team to go over the status of the jet. Now, launch procedures, flight control checks and engine starts are the only things that stand between 63-7979 resting on the ground and soaring through the stratosphere.
Removing chocks, engine covers and plugs will be the last time Worcester touches the plane before marshalling the jet for takeoff. This time, his jet will meet up with two F-15 Eagles over the Southeastern region of the country for a training mission.
His work enabled this training mission, and subsequently his work enabled the Air Force to project air power and rapid global mobility at a moment’s notice.
As a crew chief, maintaining the readiness and sustainment of the Air Force’s mobility aircraft is a constant effort. At a moment’s notice, something could go wrong with an aircraft and a crew chief would be there to fix it rain or shine.
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Staff Sgt. Justin Worcester is a crew chief with the 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. He is a Coweta, Oklahoma, native.
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2016 17:11 |
| Story ID: | 219164 |
| Location: | MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Crew chiefs keep mobility aircraft flying, by TSgt Ned T. Johnston, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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