Tinker staff sergeant, El Paso native, maintains E-3 Sentry engines for Southwest Asia combat ops

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Staff Sgt. Roman Silva, an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft maintenance Airman deployed with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Sentry aircraft maintenance unit, works on an E-3 on the flightline at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia on April 16. He is deployed from the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and his hometown is El Paso, Texas.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

04.25.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Staff Sgt. Roman Silva is an aerospace propulsion craftsman with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Sentry aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Silva is deployed from the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and his hometown is El Paso, Texas.

As an aerospace propulsion Airman in the 380th EAMXS, Sergeant Silva supports maintenance of the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft deployed with the 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron. He supports the success of AWACS aircraft to fly combat missions in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility providing an airborne command and control capability. To keep the E-3 Sentry flying in the deployed areas, Airmen like Burton from the 380th EAMXS manage the maintenance of the E-3 -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to its Air Force fact sheet, the E-3 Sentry is an aircraft with an integrated command and control battle management, or C2BM, surveillance, target detection, and tracking platform. The aircraft provides an "accurate, real-time picture" of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center.

AWACS aircraft provide situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied and coalition operations, the fact sheet states.

The E-3 has four Four Pratt and Whitney TF33-PW-100A turbofan engines, the fact sheet states, and it's up to Silva and his fellow aerospace propulsion Airmen to keep them running. To do this, it requires a multitude of skills.

According to his official Air Force job description, Silva inspects, maintains, modifies, tests, and repairs propellers, turboprop and turboshaft engines, jet engines, small gas turbine engines and engine ground support equipment . He also manages aerospace propulsion functions and activities.

In his duties to plan, organize and direct aerospace propulsion maintenance, he interprets and implements directives and publications pertaining to maintenance functions, including environmentally safe maintenance practices. Silva also advises, performs troubleshooting and determines repair procedures on aircraft engines. He also diagnoses and repairs malfunctions using technical publications and solves maintenance problems by studying drawings, wiring and schematic diagrams, technical instructions and analyzing operating characteristics of aircraft engines.

Furthermore, Silva is trained to removes, install, inspect, repair and modifies engines, engine modules and components, the job description states. He can disassemble and assemble engines adhering to prescribed procedures and prepare engines for installation, storage, or transportation. He's also trained to tests components using bench mockups and test equipment.

The job description further states his mandatory job knowledge includes knowing mechanical, hydro-mechanical, electrical, and pneudraulic principles applying to jet and turboprop engines, and propellers, oil analysis principles, wear metal criteria and guidelines, concepts and application of maintenance directives and using and interpreting diagrams and technical publications.

The 380th EAMXS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

• Date Taken: 04.25.2010
• Date Posted: 04.25.2010 04:37
• Story ID: 48659
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)