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7UDLQWKHZRUOG·VJUHDWHVW)DQG)ÀJKWHUSLORWV Nov. 20, 2015
Vol. 15, No. 44
INSIDE Hill AFB maintainers gain experience at Luke
STORIES 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\ The Hill Airmen are part of a continuous compared to Hill, and so we share usage
Retiree Appreciation Airman 1st Class cycle of maintainers being sent to Luke from of our facilities and some of these aircraft
RIDGE SHAN Hill in order to develop their skills in two for the purpose of training the maintainers
Day, 3 SKDVHVRIWUDLQLQJÀUVWXQGHUWKHH[SHULHQFHG Hill sends us,” said Chief Master Sgt. Ben
Airman aims for 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs academic instructors of Detachment 12, 372nd Carson, 61st AMU superintendent. “We’re
Training Squadron, and then through actual sharing our resources at Luke to help both
success, 4 Airmen from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, RSHUDWLRQDQGSUDFWLFHRQWKH/XNHÁLJKWOLQH Hill and the Air Force.”
Family advocacy wins ÀQLVKHGDGYDQFHGWUDLQLQJRQPDLQWHQDQFH with the 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit.
procedures for the F-35 Lightning II Nov. 3 As part of the mechanical transition
award, 5 at Luke Air Force Base. “We have more availability to the F-35 training program, the Hill maintainers
CFC wrap-up, 7 who arrive here all have some degree of
Warrior Health Month, 11 Senior Airman Roger Combs, 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit maintainer, works with previous technical training and are ready
equipment designed to help disassemble F-35 Lightning II components. The 61st to learn the skills needed for them to be
FEATURE AMU handles the hands-on practice phase of the training that some Hill Air Force mission-ready on the F-35.
Base, Utah, maintainers undergo at Luke.
Senior Airman Devante Williams “The training here is more in-depth than
in technical training school,” said Staff Sgt.
NASCAR ENERGY Brandin Bethel, 372nd TRS, Det. 12 F-35
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See Page 12 in addition to academics.”
COUNTING JETS The crew chief course under Det. 12 is 30
academic days in length. Students typically
F-35s....................................30 U.S. undergo three days a week of classroom
F-35s ..........................2 Australian instruction, where they learn the theory
F-35s ........................ 2 Norwegian of operation for the airframe, electronics,
F-16s..............................79 at Luke hydraulics and other fundamental systems,
F-16s ........... 56 at Holloman AFB and two days a week of hands-on learning
with actual aircraft.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Following completion of their academic
“The want to serve is deeply en- phase, students are handed over to the 61st
trenched in all of us as Air Force AMU, who train and provide them practice
members. We all raised our right for two weeks on the basic crew chief tasks
hands and took our respective oaths needed to start working as soon as they get
to protect, defend and serve our back to Hill.
country.”
“The Hill maintainers are trained up on
Master Sgt. Aaron Miller engine removal and installation, horizontal
WK$HURVSDFH0HGLFLQH stabilizer bearing inspections, horizontal
stabilizer bearing removal and installation,
Squadron tire changes, brake changes, launch and
recovery, scheduled maintenances, latch
WEATHER inspections, and day-to-day inspections,”
said Tech. Sgt. Justin Riggs, 61st AMU lead
Today H[SHGLWRU´7KH\GRTXLWHDELWµ
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perienced maintainers who have worked
Sunny previously on legacy jets, such as the F-15
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perience allows the students to transition
into the F-35 program with an understand-
ing of the work ethic and operational pace
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“There’s a big mentality change with this
jet compared to the legacy ones,” Bethel
said. “Some of the students get stuck in
the legacy mentality when maintaining the
F-35 and it doesn’t work because the F-35
is totally different.”
Bethel says the instructors counter
this problem by pushing their students to
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for the role they’re playing in shaping the
future of the Air Force.
See MAINTAINERS, Page 15
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connect to our website!
