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Rock Solid Warrior: Senior Airman Kelsey Traxler

  • Published
  • 386th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Rank/First & Last Name:
Senior Airman Kelsey L. Traxler

Deployed Unit:
386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

Duty Title:
C-130 Aerospace Maintenance Journeyman

Home unit/station:
107th Maintenance Group, Air Reserve Station Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Family's military heritage:
My mother and my father both serve in today's United States Air Force in the Air National Guard. Both have served in OPERATION ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM.

What is your mission here?
I serve as a C-130 maintainer ensuring that the aircraft are inspected, serviced, and maintained for mission ready status at all times. I also use technical data to troubleshoot and solve any aircraft maintenance problems as well as interpret maintenance procedures and policies to repair aircraft.

What are some of the best parts of your mission?
Working with our maintenance group and maintenance squadrons to come together as one to complete any and all missions necessary to support the big picture mission as a member of the 386th.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges that we face while conducting our mission would be making sure to complete the mission on time, with the best quality and safety possible even when things get tough, we still have to maintain composure and do our thing. With the help of each other it always gets accomplished.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
At home base the flying mostly revolves around a training mission, whereas in a deployed environment the missions are essential to somebody somewhere needing our aircraft at a certain time. It's our job to make sure that happens. So the reality of the big picture is there.

How many times have you deployed?
This would be my first deployment since joining the Air Force in 2009.

What makes this deployment unique?
This deployment is unique because it is my first deployment so there is so much that I am able to learn from it. The pace here is not as intense as it can be in other locations so I have time to become more efficient with my job and grow as an Airman while still in a deployed location. I have been able to learn a lot here and increase my training immensely.

Why did you join the Air Force? Coming from a family where both my mother and father served in the Air Force and both were maintainers made the choice very simple. I love to travel and this career allows for lots of traveling all over the world. It's also a way to help other people, whether with a relief mission or in a deployed location serving our country.