ROCK SOLID WARRIOR Published Sept. 5, 2008 SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Staff Sgt. Ryan Flores C-130 Flying crew chief Home unit/base: 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas How do you support the mission here? The C-130 maintenance mission is quite simple, although very challenging at times. I ensure the mighty C-130s are airworthy to support Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and the Joint Force Horn of Africa missions. How many times have you deployed and what makes this one unique? This is my fourth deployment. The unique thing about this deployment is that I get to see the mission in action while flying. It's always a good feeling to see the supplies get delivered to the people that need them. How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? Maintenance back home at Dyess AFB is important for aircrew training. They train to fight. Being deployed, the maintenance pace is a lot faster.