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Maintaining excellence: Dover NCO earns major award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Matthew Hubby
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover Air Force Base is home to a maintainer who takes his job to a new level.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Tripp, 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-17 flying crew chief, has been awarded the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year Award for his dedication to his work on the aircraft that keeps our troops supplied downrange.

The CMSAF Thomas N. Barnes Award is given annually to Airmen that the Air Force Association recognizes with the most significant contribution to the Air Force mission. Base-level military and civil service aircraft crew chiefs, regardless of Air Force Specialty Code are eligible for this award.

"A crew chief's job is to keep the plane, passengers and cargo safe," said Tech Sgt. Timothy Faisetty, 736th AMXS flying crew chief manager. "I believe our crew chiefs are the first line of defense, because they keep our planes moving safely to the destination. If planes land in a dangerous location, they need to fix it immediately in order to complete the mission at hand."

Aircraft may land at locations that do not have the proper tools or equipment for maintenance, in a situation such as this, the crew chief working on the aircraft needs to be highly skilled and knowledgeable in the maintenance of the C-17.

The CMSAF Thomas N. Barnes Award is equivalent to the Non-commissioned Officer of the Year award, said Sergeant Faisetty. His package did not only go against other C-17 crew chiefs, but C-5 crew chiefs as well.

"I've known Sergeant Tripp for about five years," said Sergeant Faisetty. "When we first met he was an Airman 1st Class, and he showed the hard work and dedication to the mission as he does today. He's a good example to all of our squadron Airmen."

"I honestly did not expect the award," said Sergeant Tripp. "It feels very odd, I do my job, and it was a surprise when I got the award. Lots of people look at me as 'you're the crew chief of the year' so I know everyone is looking to me to make sure everything is done right."

Sergeant Tripp said he spends about 90 percent of his time either deployed or on TDY working to keep the aircraft he is with going for the mission.

"Some crew chiefs are really good trainers, some are awesome flight line maintainers," said Sergeant Tripp. "I guess this year they decided that a flying crew chief was the best of the best."

Now that Sergeant Tripp has been picked as one of the best, his plans for the future are simple, he said.

"I plan on putting in to be a crew chief instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base," said Sergeant Tripp. "I want to take what I know, and pass it on to the next generation of Airman, teach them the skills they need to succeed and keep our aircraft on the mission."