WAKE ISLAND –
Flying crew chiefs accompanied a fleet of three KC-10 Extender aircraft from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Wake Island in support of Talisman Sabre 17, July 12.
The Global Reach portion of Talisman Sabre 17 saw refueling aircraft from Travis Air Force Base and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst refuel C-17 Globemaster III aircraft enroute from Alaska to Australia. Throughout the mission, the aircraft maintainers were responsible for ensuring the flight-readiness and safety of their assigned aircraft.
"If we could not deliver the product, then the other aircraft would not have been able to complete their mission," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Gaye, a flying crew chief with the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "We needed to make sure everything was working - especially considering we flew all the way out to Wake Island."
The 10-hour flight from New Jersey to Hawaii, and then the four hour flight from Hawaii to Wake Island can take a toll on the aircraft, but the maintainers are poised to handle any maintenance issues.
Without the maintenance provided by crew chiefs, the aircraft would not be able to fly and the ability of the U.S. Air Force’s tanker fleet to refuel aircraft anywhere in the world would be greatly diminished.
"Nothing would have gotten done if the KC-10 wasn't working," said Gaye. "The exercise would not have been able to fly nonstop from Alaska to Australia without our aircraft."
At every stop along the way to Wake Island, the crew chiefs immediately refueled and inspected the aircraft to ensure flight-readiness at the next takeoff. The crew chiefs were the first ones out to the aircraft, and the last ones to leave it.
"Getting gas on board is a number one priority when you're working with a tanker aircraft," said Senior Airman Dakota Leidig, a flying crew chief with the 605th AMXS. "Not only do you need fuel for yourself, but the other aircraft in the exercise as well."
Having completed their mission of maintaining the aircraft during travel, the crew chiefs had the opportunity to see their hard work first hand as the KC-10 formation successfully offloaded hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel to C-17 aircraft en route from Alaska to Australia.
"One of the greatest joys of being a flying crew chief is we go with the bird - we make the mission happen," said Leidig. "It was awesome to see all of the different squadrons working together to make this exercise happen."