FRESNO AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. -- The 144th Fighter Wing’s mission requires Airmen to be ready at a moment’s notice. The 144th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment shop plays an important role in ensuring aircraft launch in a timely manner.
AGE personnel are tasked with providing ground equipment to Airmen on the flightline. Crew chiefs and other maintainers then use that equipment to supply electricity, hydraulic pressure and air pressure to aircraft, allowing them to conduct on-the-spot maintenance and inspections while on the flightline.
Since the equipment and items they manage are diverse, AGE specialists must have a broad knowledge of many different types of mechanical and electrical systems.
"We're masters of our craft, we're just not specialized in one focus [as other maintenance Airmen],” U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mister Braxton, 144th FW AGE shop craftsman said. “We have to know about air condition systems, hydraulic systems, electrical and diesel power generation [to do what we do].”
A normal day for AGE Airmen comprises of one of the following: conducting dispatch, inspections or maintenance.
AGE Airmen on dispatch duty report to the flightline for item delivery and to perform minor fixes, which are repairs that can be made in a short amount of time. Minor fixes include: changing light bulbs and fuses; servicing units with fuel, hydraulic fluid or coolant oil; airing tires, and replacing cable heads. Being tasked with performing inspections, means to provide preventative maintenance for equipment, and referencing technical order procedures. Maintenance-related tasks require bringing in broken items and repairing them.
During the week, the AGE flight usually consists of11 Airmen who are tasked with managing more than 200 equipment items. Individually, Airmen are assigned anywhere between 25-30 items to manage and repair daily. Even while on dispatch, Airmen are still expected to manage their items in between flightline calls.
Airmen are responsible for additional duties in addition to managing their own daily equipment listings. Airmen in the shop are assigned with one or two additional duties, which include the shop safety program, Airfield Driving management, fuel custodian, vehicle control officer, HAZMAT pharmacy, Hazardous waste, and Tools and Parts bench stock management.
“I like what I do,” said Staff Sgt. Mariana Sinclair, 144th MXS AGE craftsman. “While I have an idea about what my day will look like, I’m always doing something different every day."
AGE Airmen regularly exercise their mechanical and electrical knowledge for nearly all their tasks. These skilled jacks-of-all-trades are an essential part of keeping the 144th FW aircraft fleet up and running.