Little Rock maintenance Airman keeps C-130s flying at Kandahar Airfield

Published Aug. 17, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Senior Airman David Ortega is an integrated flight control system journeyman deployed to the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Airman Ortega is deployed from Air Mobility Command's 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 19th Airlift Wing, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. In his support for maintaining airlifters like the C-130 Hercules at Kandahar, Airman Ortega also supports the success for airlift operations throughout Afghanistan and in Operation Enduring Freedom.

To do his deployed job successfully, Airman Ortega has to be trained in many areas of aircraft maintenance. According to his official Air Force job description, he is trained to analyze malfunctions and inspect, remove, maintain and install integrated flight control systems. In turn, he performs and supervises flight control maintenance and general aircraft servicing and handling.

Integrated flight control system Airmen like Airman Ortega also analyze equipment operating characteristics to isolate malfunctions in flight instrumental, mission computer systems, electro-optical viewing systems, inertial navigation systems, primary and secondary flight controls, automatic flight control and related systems.

They diagnose malfunctions using technical orders, schematics, wiring diagrams, integrated test systems and other test equipment, the job description states. Integrated flight control system Airmen also remove, replace and repair faulty system wiring, electrical connectors, antennas, transmission lines, and multi-conductor cables.

As a five-skill level in his career field, the job description shows Airman Ortega helps establish methods and performance standards and he analyzes reports and maintenance plans. He also helps direct operation and modification of standard operating procedures and establishes priorities. He evaluates activities for compliance with directives, supervises and assists in aircraft ground servicing, and launch/recovery operations, and reviews maintenance data collection summaries to determine trends and production effectiveness.

Integrated flight control system Airmen also have to maintain mandatory job knowledge in numerous areas to include interpreting and applying mechanical, wiring and electronic circuit diagrams; electronic, micro-processor, data bus, and mechanical principles theory and application; theory of flight; electromechanical, electro-hydraulic and electro-optical devices; principles of motion and power transmission by fluid, mechanical and electrical means; and concepts and application of maintenance directives.

According to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Web site, the wing provides a "persistent and powerful airpower presence" in the Afghanistan area of operations. 451st AEW Airmen provide "world-class tactical airlift, close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, airborne datalink, combat search and rescue, casualty evacuation and aeromedical evacuation capabilities whenever and wherever needed."