Raptor Maintenance

Airman Matthew Sutton, an assistant dedicated crew chief deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., instructs his B-Man to remove the wheel chocks from an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Raptor maintainers provide combat-ready aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Raptor Maintenance

Lt. Col. David Elliot, 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, climbs into an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The F-22’s combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics coupled with improved supportability represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Raptor Maintenance

Airman 1st Class Coraima Leal, an assistant dedicated crew chief deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., performs pre-launch operational checks on an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The Raptor provides joint commanders with airpower options across the full range of military operations possible in the 21st century. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Raptor Maintenance

An F-22A Raptor pilot performs pre-flight operations checks June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The F-22, a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, is designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances and defeat threats attempting to deny access to our nation's Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps.(U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Senior Airman Jared Mast, an assistant dedicated crew chief deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, instructs an F-22A Raptor pilot to stop taxiing at the end of runway inspection area June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The EOR is the last inspection point for aircraft prior to takeoff. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Senior Airman John-Anthony Centano, Senior Airman Nicholas Banducci and Staff Sgt. Colby Bostwick, all deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, prepare to hoist an auxiliary power unit into an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The repair is relatively uncommon and considered heavy maintenance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Senior Airman John-Anthony Centano and Senior Airman Nicholas Banducci, both deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, install an auxiliary power unit into an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The repair is relatively uncommon and considered heavy maintenance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Joshua Morgenstern, an avionics systems journeyman deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, returns to the Raptor maintenance area June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Raptor maintainers provide combat-ready aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.(U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Tech. Sgt. Kristopher Kersten, Senior Airman Steven Hughes and Staff Sgt. Stephen Halbert, all deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, connect a liquid coolant supply hose to an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Coolant is required anytime avionics operations checks are performed to prevent equipment from overheating. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Raptor Maintenance

Senior Airman Patrick Mooneyham, an assistant dedicated crew chief deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., checks the tire pressure in an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. Tire pressure is just one part of pre-flight servicing checks that ensure an aircraft is combat-ready. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Senior Airman Patrick Mooneyham, an assistant dedicated crew chief deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, verifies the pressure in a stored energy system on an F-22A Raptor June 17, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The system is one of the components used to start the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf/Released)

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Photo Essay: Raptor Maintenance

Published June 26, 2014
By Tech. Sgt. Russ Scalf
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- F-22A Raptor maintainers provide combat-ready aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The Raptor Aircraft Maintenance Unit is comprised of more than 100 maintainers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The Airmen are tasked with the responsibility of providing safe, reliable and combat-ready aircraft to fulfill the United States Air Forces Central Command mission.