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18th AMXS keeps Kadena F-15s airborne

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Maeson L. Elleman
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  By the time 10 years rolls around, most automobile owners are looking to replace their quickly outdating car, because without continuous maintenance, it will wear out and become unreliable.

This situation holds just as true for the F-15 Eagle's advanced, multi-million-dollar weaponry the U.S. Air Force uses to control the skies.

With its extreme tactical characteristics, the Eagle quickly becomes a dominant force in the air and gives the U.S. military the capability to obtain and retain supremacy over the battlefield.

However, without the Airmen from the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron performing fuel support, unscheduled maintenance when parts malfunction and inspections from pre-flight to post-flight, there's no guarantee these 30-year old fighter jets would even get off the ground.

"Our job as crew chiefs is to maintain the aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Brian Daly, 18th AMXS F-15 crew chief. "In my opinion, without us [maintainers], there's no sense in having an Air Force, because we won't have any jets to fly."

The 12 hours these Airmen spend maintaining jets each shift can leave them covered in grease, fuel and hydraulic fluid, but despite the dirty exterior, Daly said there's something more to be said about that appearance.

"It's a sense of pride to walk around with dirty boots," Daly said. "[It lets] everybody know you're a crew chief; everybody knows you work on the jets."

It goes without saying that working on the aircraft can have its challenges, but for Staff Sgt. Jason Richmond, also a crew chief for the squadron, the challenge is what makes the job worthwhile.

"If something goes down, a part malfunctions or whatever the case may be, it's our job to dig into it, find out what's wrong with it and change that part out," said Richmond. "Getting down and getting dirty - it's fun. The training and the challenge is the best part."

After all the challenges and extensive time searching for the smallest of problems that could down an otherwise healthy jet, 2nd Lt. Adam Wickley, assistant officer in charge of the squadron, said it's worth just being able to ensure Kadena's mission-ready.

"The coolest thing is seeing the aircraft flying ... and knowing you had a part in it," said Wickley. "[It feels good] just knowing our guys are there, making the mission happen so we're always ready."

Despite the aging of the planes, the maintainers boast about having clean and capable jets. While talk is big, these Airmen got their chance to "shock and awe" during a no-notice operational readiness inspection in August.

During the last-minute examination, 18th AMXS pulled through and gave the inspectors a sense of Kadena's real abilities by not only preparing the required number of jets, but 20 percent more than what was expected.

Wickley said, "It's a testament of how well our guys are doing out there and how well they are being trained."

The hard work each day, experience gained and challenges faced, Daly said, can be summed up by a single word.

"It's rewarding," he said. "You really get that sense of accomplishment."