Mobility Airman profile: Fairchild metals technology NCO earns deployed wing's 'Warrior of the Week'

Published Nov. 30, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Staff Sgt. Daniel Knapp may be thousands of miles away from his home base of Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., but being away hasn't slowed down this Libby, Mont., native.

Sergeant Knapp, an aircraft metals technology craftsman deployed from the 92nd Maintenance Squadron, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, at Fairchild AFB, recently earned the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's "Warrior of the Week" award at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. The staff sergeant discussed how his work affects the overall mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"Machinists get a great sense of reward," Sergeant Knapp said in a 376th AEW Public Affairs news report Nov. 28. "We are the ones that people come to when they are hard broke and have no other way of fixing their issue. We make parts from raw solid metal, engineer parts and repairs, and figure out how to fix things where there is absolutely no guidance. So I feel we have a huge impact on the mission and we do our best to fix anything on the spot to get it to wherever it's going."

According to his official Air Force job description, Sergeant Knapp "designs, welds, heat treats, fabricates and machines precision tools, components and assemblies for aerospace weapon systems and related support equipment."

Sergeant Knapp also advises on metals machining, welding, designing and production problems, the job description states. He designs, manufactures, or modifies special precision tools, gauges, dies and fixtures to facilitate metal working operations and he performs metals technology shop calculations such as determining cutting speeds and settings, welding processes and preheat and post-heat requirements.

Aircraft metals technology Airmen like Sergeant Knapp are also trained to weld, braze, solder and heat treat metals. They use manual and computer numerical-controlled, or CNC, metal working machines, mills and lathes to manufacture and repair cams, gears, slots and keyways for aircraft components and support equipment. They also write programs for CNC machines using manual and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing methods.

Furthermore, the job description states aircraft metals technology Airmen have to maintain mandatory job knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. They include metal repair and fabrication processes, composition of metals and machinable materials, weld specifications, metal tempering, forging and mechanical drawings.

They also have to know how the use of precision measuring devices and tools, metal fabricating by oxyacetylene, metallic arc and inert gas shielded arc, operation and capacity of metal working and welding equipment, use and fabrication of layout and fixture devices, and safety codes and practices regarding equipment and supplies.

In his current job, while either at home station or deployed, Sergeant Knapp said he is following the path he intended to when he joined the Air Force and the military.

"I wanted to try something different, serve our country like many in my family have, go to new places and follow my passion for working in a machine shop," the near 8-year Air Force veteran said in the news report. "Hopefully I will have my own (shop) someday."

The Transit Center at Manas was activated in December 2001 when coalition forces deployed to Manas International Airport and began supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the 376th AEW fact sheet states. The base continues to promote regional stability in Central Asia.

(The 376th AEW Public Affairs Office contributed to this report.)