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Joint Base MDL Airman supports KC-10 maintenance efforts in Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Airman 1st Class Garret Coleman is a KC-10 Extender integrated avionics systems apprentice for instrument and flight controls with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Extender aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base here.

He is deployed from the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and his hometown is Springfield, Mo.

Airman Coleman's work is among several maintenance specialties who maintain the KC-10 for deployed operations. In addition to Airmen specializing in instrument and flight control maintenance like Airman Coleman, there are communications and navigation, hydraulics, aerospace propulsion, fuels, electrical and environmental systems and aero repair. Then there are also KC-10 crew chiefs who ensure the general operability of the aircraft.

With avionics systems on the KC-10 Extender, Airman Coleman has to be familiar with many types of systems and have the skills to maintain and repair them. According to his official Air Force job description, he is required to "analyze malfunctions and inspect, remove, maintain and install integrated avionics systems."

Those official duties and responsibilities include not just operating and maintaining avionics systems, it also means analyzing equipment operating characteristics to isolate malfunctions in avionics systems. Among the systems he maintains before and after every KC-10 combat mission includes radar, integrated test systems built-in-test and multiplexed data systems as well as recording, fire control, video display, flight instrumental, mission computer, electro-optical viewing and inertial navigation systems. He also maintains primary and secondary flight controls, automatic flight control, engine instrumentation, fuel management systems, central air data systems, electronic warfare systems, sensors and communication and navigation systems.

To complete all this maintenance, Airman Coleman is required to maintain a high level of mandatory job knowledge such as interpreting and applying mechanical, wiring and electronic circuit diagrams and knowing electronic, micro-processor, data bus and mechanical principles theory and application. He also has to understand the theory of flight, radio frequency communication, surveillance radar and interrogator systems, pulse Doppler radar theory and inertial and radar navigation.

But as with any Air Force airframe and maintenance Airmen, to have continued success I operations, Airman Coleman's career field calls for having additional skills in organizing and directing aircraft maintenance activities.

These additional skills include establishing methods and performance standards, analyzing reports and maintenance plans, and directing operation and modification of standard operating procedures. As his career field skills grow, Airman Coleman can also perform as an aircraft dedicated crew chief.

Overall, Airman Coleman's support for the KC-10 mission with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing leads to effective support in forward deployed areas such as Afghanistan. For example, in 2009, KC-10's from the 380th AEW and the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron flew 4,760 combat sorties off-loading more than 422 million pounds of fuel to more than 31,000 aircraft. In the same year, the KC-10s and their crews accumulated more than 40,000 hours of flight time.

The 380th AEW is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.