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380AEW Article

Extreme heat, hectic flightline keep 380th EMXS maintainers busy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Southwest Asia --  At this undisclosed location the sweltering heat radiates off the flightline at temperatures of up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

But the Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron do not use it as an excuse from doing their jobs

The flightline they work on is a busy place every day. With KC-10 Extender, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft taking off for combat missions every day, and numerous other transient aircraft, maintenance Airmen have to have the generators and other aerospace ground equipment available to keep those aircraft prepped to go at any time.

Capt. Jaclyn Cordero is a maintenance officer for the 380th EMXS here. She said the caliber of the troops she has seen here is the best the native of Staten Island, N.Y., has worked with in her four-year career.

"Maintenance troops are the most dedicated people I have ever been around," Captain Cordero said. "A mechanic is easy to spot at the end of the day, because after their shift they will be filthy."

Staff Sgt. Christopher Packard, an aerospace ground equipment craftsman deployed from the 552nd Maintenance Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., said that the maintainers in his unit have formed a tight knit team.

"The equipment we work with was really not designed for this extreme heat," the native of Rome, N.Y., said. "We all come to work with a positive attitude and work together to make it work."

At the sheet metal building there is a large variety of different machines that the workers can use to craft many different things. The metal workers have to keep an open mind because of the many different aircraft filtering through the base.

Airman 1st Class Terry Kinsey, a sheets metal apprentice deployed from the 552nd MXS and a native of Richmond, Ind., said that this deployment has been a great learning experience.

"I've got a lot to learn and this is a good place to do that with all the people we have from different bases and different aircraft. I have really got to experience a lot of different things." He said. "It makes me feel great to serve out here, and I'm glad to do whatever I can."

Captain Cordero who is responsible for maintenance actions that directly support flightline operations said her maintenance troops are a key proponent of the base's mission.

"Aircraft maintenance is the key in launching safe and reliable aircraft into the fight," said Captain Cordero. " Without the ability to command and control airborne assets with the E-3 Sentry AWACS, refuel combat and support aircraft with the KC-10 Extender, and perform surveillance and reconnaissance operations with U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, the lives of ground forces at risk. Without aircraft maintenance, those missions do not happen."