Maintaining miracles

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Without the trained professionals that maintain aircraft, Tyndall’s iconic F-22 Raptor would fall into disrepair and become unserviceable.

The experts and specialists of the 325th Maintenance Group ensure Tyndall and the F-22 can perform its mission of projecting unrivaled combat airpower by combining stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and integrated avionics. The 325 MXG recently celebrated the year’s accomplishments and recognized the top performers for 2016.

“The effort that our folks do -- sometimes we call it making miracles happen every day,” said Col. Jacqueline Mongeon, 325th MXG commander. “Some aircraft break, you can’t foresee or know that it will happen, but our folks are trained to respond to those and be able to troubleshoot, detect where the problem is, and repair it as quickly as possible. That gets the aircraft back into the fight as quickly as possible.”

Mongeon added that her Airmen are on the flightline and in back shops during rain, sleet or shine.

“Honestly, I have a lot of time out there and I just love doing it,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Mackle, 325th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Barnes crew chief of the year award winner “It’s kind of like a passion. A lot of us joke around about different aspects of the job, but it really is going out there and just loving what you’re doing. If you love what you’re doing, it comes really easy.”

The 325th MXG is comprised of various sections that total upward of 1,200 Airmen.

“The maintenance group has two squadrons, the aircraft maintenance squadron which is all the on-aircraft maintenance we perform,” Mongeon said. “And the maintenance squadron which we call the back shops, they are our off-equipment. These are propulsion, the engines that go into the aircraft; ammo flight which are all the bombs and missiles; non-destructive inspection, preforms oil analysis; fabrication flight, made up of low observables and metals tech; accessories, egress, fuels – there’s a lot of different back shops that make this work.”

With a maintenance population having a size of the 325th MXG, the 12 winners did not let the significance slip by them.

“The importance of the MPOY is highlighting things you have done throughout the year,” said Tech. Sgt. Cody Montoya, 325th MXG quality assurance inspector and 2017 MPOY NCO of the year “You put your heart, your sweat and your tears into what you do and it is a time to reflect. I feel like I do a good job, but I didn’t expect to get that type of accolade. I’m humbled and very proud of receiving it.”

“Every one of these guys out here is a great crew chief, it’s just being recognized as the best of the best. I’ve felt like anyone of these guys could take their bullets and what they’ve done throughout the year and be a strong competitor,” Mackle said.

Montoya continued Mackle’s sentiment with what he admires most about the Airmen under his supervision.

“The things I would try to bolster out of a younger Airman is that they have that fresh mentality,” Montoya said. “That, ‘I’m in the Air Force now and I want to do something great with my life. I want to make a difference.’ Not that it’s just another 9-5 or 8-6, whatever it may be. Everyone is different, I try to find whatever it is that entices them and have them run with that.”

The 2016 MPOY was the last one that will be celebrated with Col. Jaqueline Mongeon as the 325th MXG commander. As her out processing date approaches, she reminisced about her favorite aspect of the maintenance career field.

“The best part about maintenance is the Airmen,” Mongeon said. “They are so ingenious in what they do. A lot of times we tell them, ‘You have to follow the book to the letter step-by-step.’ But with their experience and their knowledge, they will have conversations with the engineers and technical experts explaining that we can’t fix the aircraft right away exactly as the book tells you. Through those conversations and their knowledge and experience, they will determine exactly where the problem is that maybe nobody else has seen before. They will work together to find the right way to fix that aircraft.

“Our airmen are just brilliant,” she continued. “That’s the fun thing of working with them. Seeing those bright and shiny folks working every day trying to make it happen. They love what they do and it’s great to see them doing that.”

Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Tyndall Air Force Base website.