Page 9 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition

8 December 2021 Desert Lightning News Desert Lightning News December 2021 9
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STrAfErS (from Page 5) Airpower starts with Airmen
detail and keep track of, as well as the
grueling mission tempo Delhamer and
his squadron maintained.
In mission briefs, the pilots were provided Story and photo by human performance optimization programs.”
aerial photographs showing targeted areas Airman 1st Class To improve physical performance, the course
in eastern Germany for the B-17s. After VAughN weBeR included physical therapists, there to teach
they were briefed, the pilots would grab 355 Wing Public Affairs maintainers how to properly lift. Using proper
their gear and be ready to go to escort lift techniques would reduce back, leg, arm
bomber aircraft. Leadership from the 355th Maintenance pain and on-the-job injuries. The second as-
Personal photos showcased several pilots Group recently came up with a course designed pect of the course focused on how to minimize
from the 357th FS posing with their beloved to help A-10C Thunderbolt II maintainers at the maintainer’s mental exhaustion. Some
aircraft. Lyons even named his P-51, “Ti- Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Oct. of the maintainers linked their stressors to
ger’s Revenge.” 16-21. financial management and nutritional needs.
The 355th FG was activated in November U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate The course is called Weapons Expert Course “This course is more of how to live as an Air-
of 1942 in Orlando, Florida, and moved to George Tinseth, 355th Wing historian, to help with physical and mental exhaustion, man and how to be an adult,” said Senior Air-
their new home in Steeple Morden, Eng- holds a horizontal rangefinder at Davis- which were two issues identified within the man Taylor George, 355th MXG maintainer.
land, July 1, 1943. The group became fully Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Nov. maintenance squadrons. This was the first “Because so many Airmen are coming right
operational by Sept. 9 and flew their first 5. A horizontal rangefider is utilized to iteration of the Weapons Expert Course, which out of high school, and it’s really useful for
combat mission with the Eighth Air Force calculate effective lethal fields of fire on aims to solve these problems for future U.S. Air them to know how to live and how to provide
for themselves.”
Force maintainers at all levels.
on Sept. 14, 1943. During the 355th FG U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate a 1:300,000 scale map for the venerable “This environment led to discussions be- Specifically, it taught maintainers and their
8.8 cm German “Flak” guns.
operations in the European Theater, they Personal belongings of 1st Lt. Robert Delhamer, 357th Fighter Squadron P-51 Mus- tween the 355th Medical Group, MXG and families about financial aid, sleep enhance-
flew both the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 tang pilot, are displayed on a table. Pictured are aviator goggles, U.S. Army Air Forc- the Community Action Team, which is a group ment, nutrition, and roles of leadership for
Mustang, conducting more than 17,000 es Officers’ Club notebook, a “TS” ticket that was marked every time a member paid the 357th FS accounted for over a quarter of resiliency organizations,” said Col. Marc younger and experienced non-commissioned
sorties and shooting down over 860 enemy a visit to the chaplain, a Russian blood chit, in the event pilots landed in the Soviet of the 355th FG pilots killed in action with Walker, 355th MXG commander. “They aim to officers, along with physical training exercises.
aircraft. The group was tasked with escort- Union, and plates from a German Me-109 aircraft. 27, 21 taken in as a prisoner, three missing improve maintainer-specific, service-delivery “For me, as a younger NCO, I now have
ing bomber missions over Germany, protect- in action and 65 aircraft lost. precision using lessons learned from the more answers to give to my troops,” said Staff
ing them from enemy aircraft, as well as than any other fighter group attached to “The 355th FG was an extraordinary Delhamer took a picture of the German rescue and fighter squadrons’ relatively new Sgt. Ryan Malone, 355th MXG maintainer.
attacking enemy positions on the ground the Eighth Air Force. Their efforts severely group,” said Lyons. “Our squadron had the Me-109 and kept plates from the aircraft, “Instead of not knowing how to assist, I can
whenever possible. Although performing crippled the enemy’s ability to field them most strafing, but we also lost the most another WWII artifact he shared with the An Airman from the 355th Maintenance help them out when they ask for it.”
both tasks bravely and proficiently, it was against allied aircraft and ground troops, pilots of all the groups. Strafing was par- 355th Wing. Group is trained by a physical therapist at Building these maintainers’ resiliency helps
their exploits in the latter which earned and contributing greatly to obtaining air ticularly dangerous in the airfields deep “These artifacts gave us a glimpse into Benko Gym on Davis-Monthan Air Force their way of life and ensures that they are
the 355th FG the nickname of the “Steeple superiority. The 357th FS was also profi- inside Germany.” the lives of those who served before us and Base, Arizona, Oct. 21. The training was better prepared for life’s everyday struggles.
Morden Strafers.” cient at dispatching enemy aircraft they Within the group, there were 80 members showed us the significance of the missions part of the Weapons Expert Course that This course reinforces maintainers at all lev-
During Lyon’s and Delhamer’s time in encountered in the air as well, downing killed in action, 58 taken as a prisoner of both Delhamer and Lyons contributed to,” was designed to help Airmen lift the cor- els; senior enlisted leaders and supervisors
Steeple Morden, the 355th FG destroyed more than 280 of the 860 total enemy air- war and 14 missing in action, with a total said Tinseth. “It’s nice to be able to share rect way, so injuries on the job can be who would invest in their Airman’s personal
more enemy aircraft by ground strafing craft destroyed by the group. of 183 total aircraft lost. Of those losses, their stories.” avoided. development.

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