Lopburi, Thailand - The United States Army has the most advanced aviation program in the world, but what goes on behind the scenes to let these helicopters and pilots accomplish their mission at the highest standards?
Aircraft maintainers are the unsung heroes of the aviation world. They’re responsible for not only fixing the aircraft when things break but also scheduling preventative maintenance to catch issues before they happen, assisting the pilots with their pre- and post-flight checks, and even crewing the pilots on some aircraft to be additional eyes and ears during flights.
For U.S. Army Spc. Derek Metts, a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer/Aircrew Member with Alpha Company, 2-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, maintenance is one of his favorite parts of the job.
“It’s really enjoyable to perform maintenance on the aircraft,” said Metts. “They can really teach you a lot, even if you think you know everything.” Metts’ inspiration for becoming a UH-60 maintainer came from his grandfather, who was a commercial airplane mechanic for over 25 years.
Metts is passionate about his work maintaining the aircraft, but he also loves getting to support the maneuver units while flying on their missions.
“The flying aspect is also a lot of fun,” said Metts. “When we are doing these missions, our main focus is ensuring … they’re familiar with the safety procedures when entering and exiting the aircraft … and making sure they get off of our aircraft safely so they can continue the fight”
The maintainers do not go unappreciated by their pilots, they know just how important maintenance is to their mission.
“We depend on our aviation maintainers. They’re crucial to everything that we do,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brett McFarland, an AH-64E Pilot with 1-229 Attack Battalion. “If anything breaks, they’re on top of it. Keeping us in the air and keeping us in the mission.”
Spc. Metts and Chief Warrant Officer 2 McFarland are currently in Lopburi, Thailand in support of Hanuman Guardian, where they are conducting aerial gunnery, air assault operations, and troop movement missions.
Hanuman Guardian is a bilateral training exercise between the U.S. Army and the Royal Thai Army in the Kingdom of Thailand. Now in its 17th year, the exercise enhances readiness through realistic training while reinforcing the enduring U.S.–Thailand alliance, one of America’s oldest partnerships, dating back to 1833, and a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.