Airmen make sure A-10s keep flying Published March 30, 2004 By Master Sgt. Jeff Szczechowski 455th Expeditionary Operations Group BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- When many people were passing out candy to trick-or-treaters last October, 26 crew chiefs left their home at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and arrived here, ready to do their part in the war on terrorism.Through the holidays, this group of Airmen has not missed a beat in keeping the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft here combat ready.“I have never seen the aircraft in better shape,” said Master Sgt. Ray Turner, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aircraft section chief. “We have participated in all the major operations here since November, from Mountain Resolve to Mountain Storm. I’m really proud of all these young troops working over here.”One such Airman is Senior Airman Kurt Buffington, a native of Missoula, Mont. Though he is looking forward to getting back home to the “things you take for granted, like family and friends,” he said that he remains focused on his No. 1 priority -- making sure the jets here are ready to fly.He stays sharp, he said, because he knows how important it is to have the A-10s ready to support coalition ground troops who might need their lethal interdiction.“The ground troops -- if they need help, we’re there. That’s the A-10’s mission here: ground support,” Airman Buffington said.Bagram’s crew chiefs are the all-around maintainers of the A-10. They inspect them before and after flight, and they launch and recover them every time they fly a mission. By the time the current group of crew chiefs rotates home in April, they will have launched more than 2,000 sorties.“We run the show for our jet,” Airman Buffington said. “We take care of it. We get the ball rolling for everything that needs to be done to keep it flying.”Each crew chief is assigned his or her own jet and is responsible for that particular plane. Although everyone pitches in to help with other aircraft whenever needed, each crew chief makes extra sure that his or her aircraft is in tip-top shape.“There’s a lot of pride involved. How my aircraft flies and how it looks reflects on me,” Airman Buffington said. “Everyone knows it’s your jet, so you want it in the best shape possible.”The day-to-day job here is similar to the work back at Davis-Monthan AFB, he said. Even so, Airman Buffington’s deployment here has broadened his horizons as an Air Force professional.“I’ve gained new experience,” he said. “Job-wise, I have a different perspective now.I’m more knowledgeable. I’m a better crew chief because of this deployment.”