A-10 crewchiefs making it happen

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, talks to the pilot of his A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. Crewchiefs play a vital -- if often overlooked -- role in the war on terror, enabling aircraft to launch daily to support coalition forces on the ground. Airman Connery is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Climbing in

Maj. Erik Knauff, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing flight safety officer and pilot, climbs into an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. The A-10s, unlike the F-15E Strike Eagles here, only have a one-man crew as opposed to a separate weapons systems officer. Major Knauff is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Perry Hall, Md. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Buckle up

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, helps Maj. Erik Knauff, A-10 Pilot, buckle into his Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. Pilots and crewchiefs must hold a great deal of trust in eachother, forming a cohesive team to help coalition forces on the ground. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Start 'er up

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, waits for the pilot to get set in his cockpit to begin to power-up an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. The A-10 minimizes required equipment by using a single auxiliary power unit to provide all of the electrical and hydraulic power as well as bleed air for engine start. Airman Connery is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Checking doors

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, walks to the front of an A-10 Thunderbolt II to check the air-refueling door at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. The large turbofan jet engine is "remarkably quiet" according to Airman Connery. He is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Checking the leading edge slats

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, checks the leading edge slats on the wing of an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. Before the aircraft is deemed safe to fly, each mechanical part has to be checked for operability. Airman Connery is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Last steps

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, closes the crew boarding ladder door and disconnects his headset from the communications port of a A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. Both crewchief and pilot stay in constant communication throughout the preflight inspections allowing the crewchief to be the pilot's eyes and ears outside the aircraft. Airman Connery is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Another successful launch

Senior Airman Benjamin Connery, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 crewchief, cheers on the pilot of his A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. "Putting a jet in the air gives me a great feeling of accomplishment -- especially in a deployed environment," said Airman Connery. He is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and hails from Cashmere, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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Quiet thunder in the sky

An A-10 Thunderbolt II takes off from Bagram Air Field Oct. 18. The nose art on the plane signifies that this A-10 is part of the "Flying Tigers" legacy dating back to the World War II era. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Released)

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A-10 crewchiefs making it happen

Published Oct. 31, 2008

A-10 crewchiefs making it happen

Climbing in

Buckle up

Start 'er up

Checking doors

Checking the leading edge slats

Last steps

Another successful launch

Quiet thunder in the sky