Maintainers reap Commando Sling training benefits

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Val Gempis
  • Air Force Print News
PAYA LABAR AIR BASE, Singapore --  Commando Sling 04-3 has been an “awesome training environment” for the Airmen of the 36th Maintenance Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, said Master Sgt. John Haulman, production superintendent.

The 56-person team is here to support F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB who are conducting dissimilar aircraft air-to-air combat training with Singaporean Airmen. The exercise has given maintainers a chance to see how important teamwork is to mission success, Sergeant Haulman said.

The maintainers ensure the jets fly safely and on time. Before flight, they ensure the aircraft have been properly serviced with fuel, hydraulic fluid and liquid oxygen. After the jets land, the crew certifies the aircraft are still in mission-ready condition and available for the next go. Maintainers said the biggest benefit is learning how to work in an unfamiliar territory.

“The first week was a shock for me,” said Airman 1st Class Nicholas Burlison, a crew chief who recently graduated from technical school. He said he has never worked on an open ramp before. At his home station the jets are parked inside hardened shelters to protect them from the environment.

“I was running around to get the hang of things here,” Airman Burlison said. “It was intimidating at first.”

After the first week, Airmen Burlison said he found it easier working in an area that had a lot of space. He said having more room to maneuver and the sun shining in his face was a nice change from indoor work.

Although the flightline provides a lot space for the Airmen, they said the mission tempo is very different from what they are used to at home. Normally the crew has a couple hours to get the fighters ready before the next takeoff. Here that preparation time is cut in half.

“We have a short turn-time here,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Dee, a crew chief. “It’s a bit of a challenge since everything has to be done quicker.”

Airmen with the squadron said teamwork is critical here.

“We help each other every chance we get,” Sergeant Dee said. “Doing things together makes it easier for everyone.”

Before the jets touch down, the pilots are in contact with the maintenance operation center to let the crew know what kind of repairs are needed. As soon as the pilots get out of the aircraft, Sergeant Haulman’s crew gathers information from them so they can get a better idea why, how and when the problem happened.

“These guys are an integral part of our mission,” said Capt. Scott Heritsch, an F-16 pilot. “They work long hours, and we respect and appreciate them for that. There’s not much we can do without them.”

The maintainers said although occasionally they get frustrated fixing a stubborn problem, they would not be here if they did not love what they do. They said it is a lot of work but a great motivator when they watch the planes take off.

“We treat these aircraft like our own,” Sergeant Haulman said. “These (pilots’) lives are in our hands.”