Rock Solid Warrior: Tech. Sgt. Erik Ritchie

Published Oct. 5, 2012
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA --

Rank/First & Last Name: Tech. Sgt. Erik Ritchie

Deployed Unit: 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron

Duty Title: Maintenance Operations Center noncommissioned officer in charge

Home unit/station: 15th Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Pear Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii

Family's military heritage:
My grandfather served in the Air Force as a crew chief like myself. He worked on the F-4 fighter. My older brother is currently deployed to Afghanistan; he is a Master Sgt. in the Air Force working in base supply.

What is your mission here?
As the NCOIC of the Maintenance Operations Center my mission is to ensure smooth operations of the MOC. We keep the maintenance group leadership up to date on all maintenance issues, small and large. We also keep our maintainers out of harm's way by expeditiously running checklists whether its exercise related or real world actions. The MOC monitors updates with all assigned and transient aircraft, showing progress from the minute they depart for their mission until they reach the tarmac back home. We also coordinate maintenance repair teams when an aircraft breaks off station to ensure the assigned mission is completed.

What are some of the best parts of your mission?
To me, one of the best parts of being the NCOIC of the MOC is being able to take care of my Airmen. It is far too easy for one to lose focus on the mission when their family is thousands of miles away. We are all out of our element being deployed, and I believe my experience with previous deployments helps me to mentor my team and keep them positive and proactive. Also, in the MOC we get to see the "big picture" of how the Air Force works. There is so much knowledge in the command post and we play a large role in ensuring that the maintenance group is kept updated. Seeing everything take place gives me a greater appreciation of the complete mission.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I face here is the weather. Keeping our maintainers informed of all the heat notifications, high winds, low visibility and sand storms is very important as there are certain factors that limit our maintenance capabilities. It's all about getting the information out so we can get the job done in a timely and safe manner that keeps us one step ahead of our enemy.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
The biggest difference between here and home station is that I am responsible for 4 individual types of weapon systems plus transient aircraft. At home station we take care of one weapon system and transit aircraft. There is a higher tempo here as we are doing missions around the clock. There is always a demand for air power so we keep gainfully employed here.

How many times have you deployed?
This is my third deployment.

What makes this deployment unique?
Being deployed with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve makes this deployment unique for me. There is a big learning curve for all of us here, I believe. We all have the same background in the military but differ in so many ways due to the way our home station is maintained. This diverse team has taught me different ways to communicate with my co-workers and leadership. This is an experience that I truly will never forget.

Why did you join the Air Force?
I joined the Air Force for the education. I knew right away that I wanted to be a crew chief, even before speaking to my recruiter. I later found out that my grandfather was also a crew chief. There is not a single day where I look back and wish I could have done it different. I am proud of the work I do and it's people like me that keep this Air Force running like a well oiled machine.