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LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. – When Chief Master Sgt. Mark Welling arrived at Little Rock Air Force Base in 2004, he was a brand-new Airman assigned to a small team supporting just three aircraft.
What began as a culture shock would ultimately become the foundation of a career rooted in heritage, resilience and pride in the C-130 mission.
“I didn’t even know where [Arkansas] was,” Welling recalled with a laugh. “I was one of five new Airmen in a unit that didn’t really have any Airmen.”
That unfamiliar start marked the beginning of a defining chapter—one that has now come full circle as Welling returns to the same base, leading the very mission that shaped him.
At the center of that journey is a symbol of both personal and unit pride: a heritage C-130J Super Hercules, marked by black-and-white stripes. Assigned to the 314th Airlift Wing, the aircraft still flies today.
“It was the first stretch C-130J,” Welling said proudly. “The first active-duty J model.”
As a young senior airman and later a staff sergeant, Welling served as the aircraft’s dedicated crew chief during the wing’s historic transition of flying operations from the 314th AW to the 19th AW. He even had the honor of unveiling the wing commander’s name on its fuselage.
“I was a DCC until I left for Charleston,” he said. “There’s even a picture of me with my name on the side of the plane.”
More than a photo op, it marked a milestone in a career built on commitment to the C-130J—an aircraft Welling still refers to as his “first love.”
“I’ve trusted that jet more than anything,” he said. “It’s a constant reminder of where I started.”
Like many Airmen, Welling’s early years included setbacks and lessons in perseverance.
Stationed at Little Rock AFB for five years without deploying, he struggled to feel like he was contributing fully to the mission.
“I didn’t get to deploy until I went to Charleston,” he said. “For five years, knowing I couldn’t deploy or go off station—that was the hardest part. I came in [to the Air Force] ready to go out and do things.”
A pivotal moment came when his supervisor, Jonathan Rebidue, now a C-130J maintenance and aircrew training simulator contracting officer representative at the 714th Training Squadron, challenged him to self-reflect.
“[Rebidue] handed me an old feedback form and asked me to rate myself honestly,” Welling said. “That moment made me realize I was on the wrong path. It changed everything.”
Rebidue, who was Welling’s immediate supervisor at the time, recalled those early days clearly.
“[Welling] was a young crew chief in the making when he arrived in the 314th,” he said. “He was always a very intelligent, hard-charging and eager-to-learn maintainer. A little tough love and honest conversations was all it took for him to know that we cared about him and his future.”
Now, as the senior enlisted leader for the 19th Maintenance Group, Welling carries those hard-earned lessons forward. His leadership style is grounded in empathy, transparency and a mission-first mindset that defines what it means to be part of Herk Nation.
“I always ask myself, ‘What if that Airman was my kid? How would I want them to be treated?’” he said. “I don’t hold back. I say what I’m thinking. If you believe in something, you have to speak up.”
Walking the same flightline he did as a young Airman, Welling now leads the team responsible for maintaining the Air Force’s largest fleet of C-130Js. Under his guidance, the 19th MXG continues to fuel readiness, innovation and teamwork across “Herk Nation.”
“The only constant in the Air Force is change,” he said with a knowing smile.
For Welling, that change has brought him full circle—one aircraft, one mission, and one Airman at a time.
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2025 12:30 |
| Story ID: | 542122 |
| Location: | LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Crew chief to chief, full circle at “Herk Nation”, by SrA Julian Atkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
