Kadena maintainers keep jets flying in Thailand

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Angelique Perez
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KORAT, Thailand --  Team Kadena maintainers are getting the chance to work alongside their Thai, Singaporean and sister service counterparts at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand during Cope Tiger 2009. 

Cope Tiger brings together U.S., Thai and Singaporean aircraft and personnel once a year to hone their skills in aerial tactics, planning and operations, and military-to-military relations. 

The exercise focuses mainly on flight operations which means the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is in high demand. 

"The operations tempo here is higher than it is on a daily basis at Kadena and we need to have a quick turnaround," said Master Sgt. Kevin Estes, 18 AMXS, production superintendent for Cope Tiger-09. 

The ops tempo isn't the only obstacle for maintainers. With the heat in the 90's and the humidity not far behind, heat related injuries such as heat cramps and heat stroke are a concern. 

"The heat is a huge factor out here," said Staff Sgt. Harold West, an 18th AMXS Avionics Systems craftsman, "we are telling people to constantly drink water and stay hydrated and out of the heat as much as possible. 

He added that to protect themselves from the sun, Airmen are encouraged to take cover if not actively employed. 

The afternoon thunderstorms allow for a short break from the sun and heat. However, they also mean a temporary work stoppage for flight line maintenance crews due to the possibility of lightening. 

Despite these obstacles, the Airmen maintain their focus on the mission - to keep the jets operational and safe. 

As soon as a jet lands the maintainers get to work checking and double-checking every nut, screw, and bolt on the aircraft to make sure nothing loosened during flight. All of the fault codes have to be downloaded and checked and the flying hours have to be logged to ensure timely routine maintenance for each aircraft. If something is broken, it is either fixed or replaced as quickly as possible before the next pilot can fly. 

During the exercise, the maintainers are able to observe how their international counterparts conduct their daily jobs. 

"We have gone over and basically viewed their operations and seen the way they work on a day-to-day basis and it's quite interesting," said Sergeant West. "We are all in pretty close quarters here, but I think it functions very well. I think the powers that be definitely had a well thought out plan for this exercise and they did a great job of organizing it." 

Sergeant Estes added that working together is beneficial because it will allow a smoother transition should these countries need to cooperate together for a future contingency. 

It's not all work and no play for the maintainers though. Several outstanding Airmen were selected for F-15 incentive rides and Senior Airman Joshua Fennell, from the 18th AMXS was one of the lucky ones. After it was over he said it was an awesome experience, and that it is great to know that when you work hard, people notice and put you up for things like this. 

Capt. Alan Schulenberg, the 44th Fighter Squadron F-15 pilot who gave Fennell his ride said, "It's a really good feeling to get to do this because these are the guys that fix the jets, and they never get a chance to actually go out and see what the jets can do."