Rock Solid Warrior: Staff Sgt. Gregory Rusmanis Published May 20, 2013 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron SOUTHEAST ASIA -- Rank/First & Last Name: Staff Sgt. Gregory B. Rusmanis Deployed Unit: 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Duty Title: Crew Chief Home unit/station: 52nd Airlift Squadron/Peterson Air Force Base, CO Family's military heritage: My Grandfather and Uncle both served in the Marine Corps. What is your mission here? Launch, recover, inspect and maintain C-130 aircraft that are directly involved in the support of Operation Enduring Freedom. What are some of the best parts of your mission? The best part of my mission is knowing that the aircraft I just launched is now on its way to provide support to our Army/Marine/Navy brethren on the ground. What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them? I think the biggest challenges we face are long hours mixed in with the heat. It's easy to become complacent when these factors combine. Luckily everyone in our shop is always looking over the others shoulder so mistakes are avoided and we keep each other safe. How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? There really are no differences being deployed or at home station when it comes to performing my duties. There is no room for error as aircraft maintainers. One slip up could potentially cost the Air Force a lot of money or even worse, it could cost lives. How many times have you deployed? This is my second deployment. What makes this deployment unique? I believe this deployment is unique because I am currently working in conjunction with five other units (Texas, Delaware, Yokota, Peterson and Little Rock). The ability for all of us to come from various locations and become such a cohesive team is something that I am truly proud to be a part of. Why did you join the Air Force? I joined the Air Force to travel and experience new and exciting challenges.