JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST -- Staff Sgt. Joseph Gutowski, a crew chief with the 305th Air Mobility Wing Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was recently named the Air Mobility Wing Crew Chief of the Year after being receiving the Chief Master Sgt. Thomas N. Barnes Award for 2016.
The award is given annually to the Airman recognized for the most significant contribution to the mission.
“We as crew chiefs are responsible for all the services of an aircraft and we make sure it’s air worthy,” said Gutowski. “We do a bit of everything.”
The last 12 months pushed Gutowski’s knowledge and skills to the limit, proving himself again and again as a jack of all trades.
“Last year, I was working as a [flying crew chief],” Gutowski explained. “I would grab my toolbox and all my gear, and I would be responsible for all the maintenance for the aircraft during missions.”
With assignments lasting between one or two days to over a month, Gutowski relied heavily on his extensive knowledge of the C-17 Globemaster III, helping avoid potential catastrophic situations. One such incident occurred over the Pacific.
“We left Japan and were heading towards [Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,] Hawaii, and we had an engine malfunction,” Gutowski said. “The engine was consuming oil, but none of the operations personnel could find anything wrong with it.”
Gutowski recommended to his aircraft commander run the engine to maximum power before proceeding with actual takeoff. While things seemed to be responding normally, Gutowski then heard something break lose in the engine, allowing the crew to bail out of take-off just in time.
“We almost had to execute in-flight emergency procedures at the most critical point of a takeoff,” he said.
However, testaments to Gutowski’s skill stretch beyond the Pacific and into the Middle East.
“I was working a deployment between Germany and Al Udeid,” explained Gutowski. “We got a call for a critical medical evacuation.”
Once Gutowski’s aircraft touched down to retrieve the wounded service member, the aircraft suffered an oil leak, and it was unclear whether they would be able to take off again. With the patient’s condition quickly deteriorating, Gutowski’s task became a matter of life or death.
“I was able to find the oil leak and repair it,” he said. “We were able to take off on schedule, and that service member did end up surviving.”
It’s apparent how Gutowski’s performance as a crew chief has effected service members worldwide – but he has also continued to set the example for his own Airmen at MDL.
“Without a doubt, [Gutowski] deserves this award,” said Staff Sgt. Frank Buonanno, a fellow 305th AMW crew chief. “He’s been rock solid all year.”
Buonanno continued to describe what makes a good crew chief:
“You can’t just be a hard worker, or a yes man, you need to have that technical knowledge, be the go-to guy,” Buonanno said. “You can be as good as you want in books, but when you’re out there turning the bolts, you need to know what you’re doing.”
Moving forward, the Airmen at the 305th AMXS continue to work hard, day in and day out, looking to Gutowski as the example.
Gutowski says he is humbled by his new title, and will continue to strive for his best chance he gets.
“Take a deep breath, and tackle each task one at a time,” said Gutowski. “You learn more from your mistakes than your successes.”