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Gamblers Never Fold
by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn Brewer
July 18, 2019
Being the last person pilots see upon takeoff and first upon
arrival is a heavy task, one taken on by 20th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron, 77th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, tactical aircraft
maintainers.
These Airmen work to get F-16CJ Fighting Falcons
safely off the ground and back no matter the hours it may take;
strictly abiding by their motto, “These Gamblers never fold.”
The 77th AMU, also referred to as the Gamblers AMU, consist of
tactical aircraft maintainers, also known as dedicated crew chiefs.
Though these Airmen play a crucial role in mission success, they
would not be able to complete their mission and get jets in the air
without help from the other shops-avionics service technicians and
communications technicians.
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March 11, 2019 - U.S. Air Force
Senior Airmen Jacob Leighton, 20th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron (AMXS), 77th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU)
tactical aircraft maintainer, left, wipes a panel, while
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Gonzalez, right, and Airman 1st Class
Austin Deney, 20th AMXS, 77th AMU avionics
specialists, work on the computer system in an F-16CJ
Fighting Falcon at Shaw Air Force Base, SC. Both career
fields have to work in tandem so pilots can stay safe during
flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn
Brewer)
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“We maintain F-16’s for training sorties while at home station
and combat sorties when deployed,” said Staff Sgt. Taylor Hendricks,
20th AMXS, 77th AMU dedicated crew chief. “Crew chiefs change the
tires, service the systems and change most of the parts to ensure
it’s safe for flight.”
Hendricks went on to say without
Gambler AMU avionics technicians, the engines and electrical systems
would not be up-to-par for crew chiefs to do their jobs. While crew
chiefs are responsible for the maintenance of their jets, they have
to draw on the knowledge of avionics technicians for electrical work
and expertise, components out of their realm of maintenance
knowledge.
“A good crew chief is going to work with every
shop to know exactly what is happening with his aircraft at all
times and keep tabs on everything to give the pilots a near-perfect
product,” said Senior Airman Jacob Leighton, 20th AMXS, 77th AMU
dedicated crew chief.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Gonzalez, 20th AMXS,
77th AMU avionics specialist, said they maintain all computer
systems and avionics equipment on F-16s, including air-data systems,
radio, electronic counter measures and flight patrols for the crew
chiefs.
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March 11, 2019 - U.S.
Air Force Senior Airman Jacob Leighton, 20th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), 77th Aircraft Maintenance Unit
(AMU) tactical aircraft maintainer, left, alongside, Airman
1st Class Austin Deney 20th AMXS, 77th AMU avionics
specialist, right, secure an F-16CJ Fighting Falcon, as a
pilot prepares to exit his jet, at Shaw Air Force Base, SC.
Dedicated crew chiefs put in countless hours of work in
conjunction with many other career fields to keep their
respective jet properly maintained. (U.S. Air Force photo by
Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn Brewer)
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“We work in tandem with crew chiefs, having to constantly keep
communication and make sure everything is good on their end before
we crack into the computer systems or attempt to fix anything beyond
their realm on their aircraft,” said Gonzalez.
Leighton said
the Gamblers AMU is truly a deck of cards, as the crew chiefs would
not be able to succeed without the help of avionics specialist
technicians, weather technicians, communications technicians, or
aircraft flight equipment technicians. All work together so the
pilots, who ultimately make use of everyone’s hard work, can
take-off in a $14.6 million asset and ensure mission success with
precise equipment.
From crew chief to pilot, these Gamblers never fold.
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Air National Guard
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