Airmen save lives with equipment

  • Published
  • By Capt. Bradley Peregrin and Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Operations Support Squadron and 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  While aircrew members prefer never to have to use life-saving and survival equipment, they are just that - an essential element to the crew's preservation and well-being if the unthinkable happens.

Enter the men and women from the 60th Operations Support Squadron's Aircrew Flight Equipment shop.

Travis' AFE has the distinction of being the only one in Air Mobility Command to support and maintain three different aircraft, making its Airmen outstanding in the eyes of Lt. Col. Rafael Carroll, 60th Operations Support Squadron operations officer.

"They do an incredible job with three different airframes," he said. "It's a lot of responsibility, but from what I've seen in my year of being here, they have stepped up to the plate and really hit a home run."

In addition to inspecting and maintaining life rafts, escape slides, life preservers, oxygen equipment and parachutes on each of Travis' KC-10 Extenders, C-17 Globemaster IIIs and C-5 Galaxies, they also carry the added responsibility of training the 1,400 active duty and Reserve aircrew in the proper operation and use of AFE items.

This training includes in-depth familiarization with aircraft specific equipment, local procedures and chemical warfare procedures, which allow our crews to operate without fail in contaminated environments.

Maj. Steven Hatcher, 60th OSS assistant director of operations and a C-17 pilot, said training occurs once every two years as a refresher course to remember their training.

"It's not equipment that gets used, hopefully," Hatcher said. "On the C-17, we carry parachutes that hopefully we never have to use to bail out. So we make sure we're trained correctly on those."

As if that weren't enough, these support Airmen also maintain a $1.4 million inventory of helmets, night-vision devices and aircrew laser eye protection required to operate in and out of contingency environments, giving the aircrew a combat edge while enhancing their safety.

Hatcher said the NVGs are used in tactical training as well as the combat environment.

The members of the AFE work around the clock, dealing with emergencies as they arise, but also constantly inspecting the equipment to ensure it is up to date and usable.

Much like the dozens of other support agencies, the mission doesn't happen without the dedication of these incredible Airmen.

"They're one of those career fields that truly work behind the scenes," Carroll said. "The small things you can't account for and no one's going to hear about. They go out and take the extra step to make sure the mission keeps moving."