JB MDL airman first class keeps KC-10s flying as deployed crew chief in Southwest Asia

Published May 5, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airman 1st Class Michael Warren is a KC-10 Extender crew chief with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Extender aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base here.

Warren is deployed from the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and his hometown is Saint Charles, Ill.

Before every KC-10 Extender launch, 380th EAMXS Airmen Warren make sure the more than 180-foor-long tanker and airlifter is ready to go. As a crew chief, he makes sure the whole aircraft he's assigned to is cared for every day. He's required "to know the jet from front to back and top to bottom."

The official Air Force job description for a crew chief states that maintainers advise on problems maintaining, servicing and inspecting aircraft and they use technical data to diagnose and solve maintenance problems on aircraft systems. Crew chiefs also troubleshoot and maintain aircraft structures, systems, components and support equipment. They also supervise and perform aircraft and component inspections and interpret inspection findings and determine adequacy of corrective actions.

Furthermore, in his job, Warren inspects and checks components for clearances, tolerances, proper installation and operation and inspects and operates powered and non-powered aerospace ground equipment, identifies aircraft corrosion for prevention and correction, and reviews maintenance forms, aircraft records and reports to ensure complete documentation.

Warren's work is among several maintenance specialties who maintain the KC-10 for deployed operations. There are KC-10 crew chiefs and Airmen specializing in instrument and flight control maintenance, communications and navigation, hydraulics, aerospace propulsion, fuels, electrical and environmental systems and aero repair. Then who ensure the general operability of the aircraft.

Overall, Warren's support for the KC-10 mission with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing leads to effective support in forward deployed areas such as Afghanistan. For example, in 2009, KC-10's from the 380th AEW and the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron flew 4,760 combat sorties off-loading more than 422 million pounds of fuel to more than 31,000 aircraft. In the same year, the KC-10s and their crews accumulated more than 40,000 hours of flight time.