Staff Sgt. Michael Campbell serves as a crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, which maintains KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
Senior Airman Shaun Hover, a crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is in communication with the crew aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011, as he helps to prepare the aircraft for a mission. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
Senior Airman Shaun Hover, a crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is in communication with the crew aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011, as he helps to prepare the aircraft for a mission. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
A group of crew chiefs from the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron return to a maintenance hangar after preparing several KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft for take-off at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
A crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft toward the runway prior to a mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
A crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft toward the runway prior to a mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
A crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft toward the runway prior to a mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
Staff Sgt. Michael Campbell, a crew chief with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs a pre-flight check on a KC-135 Stratotanker at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Dec. 3, 2011. Crew chiefs perform and coordinate a wide variety of maintenance tasks and prepare the aircraft for flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
12/6/2011 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Fundamentally, the job of an Air Force crew chief is to ensure that his or her aircraft is ready to fly when needed.
To do that, the crew chief often spends long hours on the flight line -- in all kinds of weather -- making sure that maintenance and regular inspections are performed on the aircraft and coordinating the work of other maintenance specialists.
When the flight crew arrives at the aircraft, the crew chief works closely with the crew to prepare the aircraft for departure and then sends the aircraft and crew on their way with a final salute.
The crew chiefs are then on hand to "catch" the aircraft, performing similar duties after the aircraft has landed and readying it for the next flight.
At Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the KC-135 Stratotankers of the 127th Air Refueling Group are maintained by the crew chiefs of the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
