Photo By Master Sgt. Chelsea FitzPatrick | Senior Airman Kenny Jenkins, an electrical power production journeyman assigned to the...... read more read more
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AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates-- Situated near the runway on Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, a nine-person team of U.S. Air Force power production Airmen have a critical job supporting the fighter mission here: preventing loss of life.
The barrier maintenance team is responsible for maintaining two mobile aircraft arresting systems, also referred to as barrier arresting kits, capable of rapidly decelerating a landing aircraft using a cable situated across the runway.
“I like my job, there’s a lot of things that go into it that contribute to the bigger Air Force picture,” said Senior Airman Kenny Jenkins, an electrical power production journeyman assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here.
The mobile aircraft arresting system consists of a pair of energy-absorbing BAK-12 aircraft arresting barriers, mounted on a wheeled trailer so they can be relocated as needed. The BAK-12 holds tension on a massive cable, extended across the runway that catches aircraft equipped with a tail hook and weighing up to 80,000 pounds, similar to a fully-loaded F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation fighter jet mission recently established at Al Dhafra.
“’Barrier, barrier, barrier!’ is what you’ll hear come over the radio when a pilot comes in to catch the system,” Jenkins explained.
If the pilot experiences an in-flight emergency making a normal runway landing impossible, they can release the tail hook at the rear of their aircraft and target an emergency landing to catch the MAAS cable.
“It can feel kind of scary sometimes, knowing this system can directly impact someone’s life,” Jenkins said, “It can be a heavy weight on your shoulders.”
Deployed to Al Dhafra from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, Jenkins is coming up on his third anniversary of enlisting in the Air Force. He is knowledgeable about every aspect of the MAAS, because the maintenance of the system is so critical. As far as Jenkins is concerned, he and his team of barrier maintenance professionals are responsible for maintaining the last line of defense when a pilot experiences an in-flight emergency.
“It’s an assurance for the pilots that if something happens in a wartime scenario, you can have that last hope,” Jenkins said. “When something does happen and you are there to help, it’s very rewarding, knowing all the work we put in every day really pays off.”
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2022 00:53 |
| Story ID: | 415582 |
| Location: | AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, AE |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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