Mobility Airman profile: KC-10 flight engineer achieves 300 combat sorties

Published Aug. 16, 2011
By 1st Lt. Gina Vaccaro McKeen
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- To Tech. Sgt. Brian Bialobreski, a KC-10 Extender flight engineer deployed in Southwest Asia, who has served for more than 20 years; deployed 18 times; has more than 2,500 combat flying hours and has just flown his 300th combat sortie, his accomplishments seem ordinary.

"This is what the government pays me to do; it's my job," Bialobreski said in an interview shortly after his milestone flight. "We're at war right now, and this is something I have to do. So, I do it to my fullest extent."

Reaching 300 combat sorties in general is rare, Bialobreski said. It is even rarer to have done all of them in the same airframe, he added. Achieving 100 combat sorties used to be a big deal. Now, a lot of folks are getting to 200; the southern California native said

"Three hundred is where 100 used to be four years ago," Bialobreski said. "Out of [about] 50 engineers at Travis [Air Force Base, Calif.], only two of us are anywhere close to 300 combat sorties."

While the flight that marked Bialobreski's 300th combat mission was decidedly ordinary--there were no maintenance issues, they took off on time and everything went as it was supposed to during the mission--the significance of the flight itself was not lost on Bialobreski or his teammates at the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.

"This is 300 combat sorties in the KC-10, so that means that he will have spent over two years of his life flying [out of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing]," said Lt. Col. Kenneth Moss, the 908th EARS commander, who was on the flight with him.

"It was nice to be there to recognize how important and significant this is, and to offer him some personal thanks for the sacrifices he and his family have made to get here," Moss said. "Tech. Sgt. Bialobreski is definitely a dedicated, committed professional. When he's on a mission or getting ready for a mission that's all he's thinking about. He stays focused no matter what comes up, whether it's an emergency or mission change, he's all over it."

It was only five and half years ago that Bialobreski began his time in the KC-10. He was fully qualified as a flight engineer in 2006 and did his first deployment as such in January 2007. Since that time he has racked up more than 3,700 flying hours in the KC-10 and has deployed to this region 10 times.

The KC-10 is an aerial refueling plane that allows other aircraft to stay in a location for a longer period of time. Fighters and bombers, for example, who are following action on the ground and need to stay aloft can refuel at a KC-10 and stay in the air.

"The KC-10 extends the on-station time for any aircraft," Bialobreski said. "So, instead of flying an hour and a half with the gas they have, they can fly for an endless amount of time as long as we're up there giving them gas."

As a flight engineer, Bialobreski is responsible for monitoring aircraft systems and ensuring he knows what to do in the event of a malfunction. He is also responsible for routing the gas from the tanks on the KC-10 to the other airplane through the boom.

"I've had some good times every time I've been out here," Bialobreski remarked of his deployed time.

"I have never seen Tech. Sgt. Bialobreski do his job without a smile on his face," Moss said."He always has a great attitude."