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Rock Solid Warrior: Senior Airman Brian Storzer

  • Published
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Senior Airman Brian Storzer

Deployed Unit: 386th Expeditionary Operarions Support Squadron

Duty Title: Aircrew Flight Equipment Technician

Home unit/station: 187th Airlift Squadron, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Family's military heritage:
My father was in the Navy and my sister currently serves in the USAF.

What is your mission here?
My mission is to make sure the aircrew has all the life saving equipment available to complete their assigned mission.

What are some of the best parts of your mission?
The diversity of the equipment we are charged with, and the interaction/comradery between all the personnel on the ground and the aircrew.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenges are the sand and the heat. The "dirty/sandy" conditions make maintaining the equipment difficult and the heat can be exhausting. We do our best to provide and maintain a clean shop area to work in. The heat is remedied by a common sense work/rest cycle and by hydrating, exercising, and eating properly.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
The job differs from home station in that it is more specialized when deployed. Our field of equipment maintenance and repair is narrower in theater, as we don't spend time with floatation equipment, etc.

How many times have you deployed?
This is the first deployment for me.

What makes this deployment unique?
This deployment is unique for me in that all of my co-workers are from different units and everyone brings something new to the table. It combines different ways of getting the same results and one has the ability to learn more techniques.

Why did you join the Air Force?
I joined the Air Force to serve a higher purpose. I wanted to contribute to the defense and the protection of my nation.