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B-1B crew chief leading the way

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Colin Cates
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar --  Every Airman is called to lead and excel by Air Force leadership and one Airman that has answered that call in a resounding way is U.S Air Force Staff Sgt. David Baker, 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron B-1B Lancer crew chief.

Being a crew chief is something this 25-year-old from Rochester, New York, takes a lot of pride in. "What I do every day makes a real impact in getting the mission done, said Baker. This is his third deployment in five years of service.

"Sgt. Baker is a leader among his peers and always sets a great example to the other troops in our squadron," said Master Sgt. Howard May, 379th EAMXS production superintendent. "I know I can count on him to do an excellent job and at the same time help others better themselves."

As a crew chief, Baker is required to know the workings of every system on the B-1B. He is an overall jet maintainer, responsible for launching, recovering and refueling the aircraft. He also inspects the B-1B to ensure that it is capable of flying.

"Sgt. Baker always puts the mission first; he spends extra hours in the shop to ensure the B-1B is in perfect working order," said May.

"My drive and work ethic comes from my father, He's in his 50's and still working 2 jobs to provide for his family and that's a work ethic not everyone has these days," said Baker. "I wanted to do something my family I could be proud of."

Baker said being a crew chief means being hard-working, dedicated, and resilient. "No matter what obstacles are thrown our way or how much we're pushed to the max we always bounce back and manage to get the job done."

Currently, there are approximately six B-1Bs from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota deployed to Al Udeid Air Base. Baker is part of the team that makes sure those planes are ready to go.

"Sgt. Baker is my first choice for the toughest projects and assignments. He gets the job done the right way the first time all in conjunction training and mentoring his cadre of Airman, said Senior Master Sgt. Craig Tocci, 379th EAMXS superintendent.

"The greatest joy I get from my job is knowing that even after the long hours in the heat and the high demands put on us, at the end of the day it's all worth it. Because with these aircraft we're protecting our brothers in arms on the ground and ultimately saving American lives," said Baker.