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Avionics Airmen keep AOR mission rolling

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joel Mease
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  It takes more than maintaining some gears and levers to keep the world's premier Air Force flying, it takes highly qualified Airmen to keep sophisticated avionics equipment up and running.

As the only centralized repair facility for avionics equipment in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, the Airmen who make up the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron can be a bit busy.

"We have six airframes, where we work anything from radar to heads-up displays to electronic warfare equipment," said Tech. Sgt. Tyler Eddy, 379th EMXS avionics production supervisor. "Basically, if it controls how the aircraft flies, we work on it."

While Eddy's team focuses to keep planes flying, Tech. Sgt. Robert Blott's Airmen keep the aircraft from being shot down.

"Our job is to maintain the combat readiness of our combat assets, where our work literally can save the lives of aircrew," Blott said. As the 379th EMXS avionics electronic counter measure supervisor, his Airmen have the task to maintain the electronic warfare pods - which keep surface-to-air missiles at bay - functional at all times. "In addition to maintaining the pods, we keep the software up to date so it is current with the most recent weapons technology."


The CRF maintains the avionics equipment for the A-10, F-16, F-15, C-17 and B-1. With so many airframes, it can be challenging at times for the maintainers.

"Quite a few aircraft depend on our support," Eddy said. "Between airlift, fighters and bombers, we have to keep our supply fully stocked with serviceable parts."

Even with the diversity of airframes, Eddy said it is critical they are ready at any time.

"If that plane needs to fly tomorrow and something is failing, they need to have that part available," Eddy said. "We have to make it happen because people depend on us."

Multiple airframes also means multiple personnel from different bases, who usually only work on one airframe back at home station.

"Every one of us has the same goal, but it's how we get there that can be our challenge," Blott said. "The folks at Shaw AFB (S.C.) have a certain way of doing things with F-16s and the guys at Seymour Johnson AFB (N.C.) do things different with their F-15s, but it's a different mission here and we have to do it the 379th way."

Because people downrange depend on the 379th EMXS Avionics Flight, they have to find a way to get the job done.

"The work can come in by the truckload," Eddy said because of that "our doors are always open. We can't say we're closed for the day, because the mission has to go on."

Even with those challenges, the avionics Airmen find a way to get it done, said Senior Master Sgt. Carlos Gutierrez, 379th EMXS Avionics Flight chief.

"We have a lot of young Airmen, but their performance has been outstanding," he said. "They've been recognized as outstanding performers in the (multi-major command staff assistance visit inspection), and were recognized as November's 2012 Wing Flight of the Month. Without them the mission wouldn't run."