MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — By day, Senior Airman Marcos Rivera, a crew chief assigned to the 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is responsible for the health, safety, and mission readiness of the KC-135 Stratotanker. By night and on weekends, he can often be found under the hood of a car, grease on his hands, tuning engines and restoring cars. Though one machine flies through the sky and the other grips the pavement, the mindset behind both is similar. As a crew chief, attention to detail is expected.
Every bolt, wire, and system must be inspected with precision because lives and missions depend on it. That same discipline carries over to Rivera’s favorite hobby of working on cars. Whether diagnosing an unfamiliar noise or rebuilding an engine from the ground up, he approaches each task with patience, technical expertise, and an understanding that shortcuts have consequences.
“I’ve been working on cars with my dad since I was a kid,” said Rivera. “A lot of what I do on the flight line comes from what he taught me in the garage.”
Both aircraft and cars tell a story if you know how to listen. A subtle vibration, a change in sound, or a minor performance issue can signal a much larger problem. Rivera’s ability to “feel” a machine, developed in the garage but translates seamlessly to the flightline. The troubleshooting skills sharpened while supporting the Air Force mission make him a more skilled mechanic off duty, just as the hands-on experience gained working on cars reinforces his confidence and competence as a crew chief.
“A plane might be bigger and more complex than a car, but they both rely on the same principles,” said Rivera. “Attention to detail and pride in your work make all the difference.”
There is also pride in ownership and stewardship. Just as Rivera takes personal responsibility for his assigned aircraft, treating it as “his jet,” he shows the same respect to not only his car but every other car he works on.
Ultimately, the connection between wings and wheels comes down to one core value: responsibility. Whether preparing a KC-135 for flight with the 927th AMXS or bringing a car back to life in his garage, Rivera exemplifies the Air Force standard of excellence. His passion for maintenance does not end when the duty day is over, it simply shifts locations. In both environments, the mission remains the same: keep the machine running, keep people safe, and always strive to be better than yesterday.