Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Diamond
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. (AFPN) --  Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.

Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot program, there are still a number of "flying" career fields available to today's enlisted Airmen.

These enlisted flying positions are organized into the career enlisted aviator career field, which encompasses nine career choices. They include in-flight refueling specialist, airborne missions systems specialist, flight engineer, loadmaster, airborne communications, battle management, flight attendant, aerial gunner and airborne linguist.

Besides having the opportunity to fly as part of an Air Force aircrew, Master Sgt. Matthew Zahn, Air Mobility Command's career enlisted aviator training manager, said enlisted aviators receive special incentives not available to other Airman, including flight pay. Flight pay ranges from $150 month to $400 month, based on an individual's flight time and tenure as an enlisted aviator.

Sergeant Zahn said he thinks the biggest incentive for becoming an enlisted aviator is membership in a unique group of people performing critical missions and supporting U.S. interests worldwide.

For example, as an in-flight refueling specialist -- also known as a boom operator -- Airmen become crewmembers on either a KC-10 Extender or a KC-135 Stratotanker. The in-flight refueling specialist is primarily responsible for operating the equipment that connects the tanker aircraft with U.S. and allied planes during in-flight refueling operations.

There has not been an operation in the recent past that would have experienced the same success without tankers and boom operators, said Chief Master Sgt. Oliver Winter, AMC functional manager for the in-flight refueling specialist career field.

"Tankers are needed everywhere, and the tanker mission relies on boom operators," he said. "It's one of the most important jobs in our global reach mission."

Master Sgt. Mark Redden, an instructor boom operator and flight supervisor assigned to the 9th Air Refueling Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., said during his career in in-flight refueling, he has worked on the KC-135 and the KC-10.

After more than 16 years, Sergeant Redden said the job is a rush.

"When a receiver pulls up behind our aircraft, it's still exciting,” he said. “Sitting back and watching as the aircraft approaches and watching the aircraft get closer and closer before it makes contact ... to me, that's a rush.”

"Crucial" is another word Sergeant Redden used to explain the mission of an in-flight refueling specialist.

"Without boom operators and the refueling aircraft, the mission wouldn't get done. More specifically, gas would not be passed to the receivers who deliver cargo or drop bombs on target," he said. "When we're up there refueling an F-16 [Fighting Falcon] over Iraq, we know we have a direct impact. Without fuel, that pilot won't be able to knock out that (enemy) site or help ground troops move into a location."

With only three years in the Air Force, Senior Airman Jon Johnson, a boom operator with the 9th ARS, agrees that there is no better reward than passing fuel to another aircraft, especially when that aircraft is about to fly on a combat mission.

"The mission could not get done without us," Airman Johnson said. "Our fighters and bombers cannot hit their targets without 'hitting' us first, and often they can't get back home without us."

Airman Johnson said it is sometimes the routine missions -- such as hauling cargo and passengers -- that makes him realize the importance of his mission.

"The boom operator is also responsible for any passengers we have on the aircraft," he said. "And that part of the mission is very rewarding. Sometimes you're lucky enough to take some of those passengers to the back of the aircraft where they can watch an actual refueling. When you see their expression and hear how excited they get, you really realize how great our job is."

Like boom operators, airborne missions systems specialists also perform duties on one of two aircraft: the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System or the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.

The systems specialists preflight, power-up, initialize, troubleshoot and monitor the operation of the aircraft's computer and radar systems, said Chief Master Sgt. Nicholas Stokes, Air Combat Command functional manager for the career field. Post-mission duties include performing diagnostics, system shutdown and briefing maintainers on any problems the aircrew encountered during the mission, he said.

"This is the one specialty where computer and radar technicians are part of an aircrew," Chief Stokes said.

The chief said the specialists ensure the air-battle managers and surveillance technicians can complete the mission of controlling aircraft and monitoring the airspace.

"Even if the aircraft operates perfectly, it depends on the computer and sensors to do the mission," he said. "To a technically minded person who wants the excitement and adventure of being a crewmember, this [career field] is the place."

For Airmen who want to become a part of an aircrew on either fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, the flight engineer career field may be a perfect fit.

Flight engineers are responsible for preflighting the aircraft, determining takeoff and landing data for every phase of flight, including during take off, climb out, cruise, descent and landing. They also monitor the aircraft systems like engines, hydraulics, power systems and radios.

Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Roberson, career enlisted aviator manager for the Air National Guard said, for him, the most exciting aspect of being a flight engineer is the primary mission of his weapon system, the C-130 Hercules.

"The capabilities of the C-130 allow us to place personnel, cargo and equipment as close to the front lines as possible," he said. "We accomplish this either by airdrop or airland; [it] doesn't matter to me; they are both a kick. These capabilities give me a feeling of complete fulfillment by being an integral part of the warfighters. It makes me feel like I am at the tip of the spear."

The purpose of a flight engineer, regardless of the weapon system, is to be the systems expert, Chief Roberson said. It is a demanding job, as a person's knowledge of his or her assigned aircraft has to be beyond approach, he said.

"We are responsible for solving any situation that might occur on the ground or in the air," the chief said.

Although boom operators, flight engineers and airborne mission system specialists make up only three of nine enlisted aviator career choices, Sergeant Zahn said the remaining specialties are equally challenging and just as rewarding.

"Enlisted aviators get to experience things your average (Airman) will never get to experience," Sergeant Zahn said. "From traversing the world in any number of Air Force weapons systems, to being a member of an actual aircrew and performing a vital mission during real-world operations, enlisted aviators have the best (jobs) in the Air Force."

"You don't know what you're missing until you've flown as part of an aircrew," Airman Johnson said. "The officers may control the front 5 percent of the aircraft, but the enlisted aircrew members take care of the rest." (Courtesy of AMC News Service)