Maintainers deploy, keep birds flying Published June 21, 2007 By SrA. Mark Orders-Woempner 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey, -- Deploying is something that every Airmen must deal with, and a group of maintainers from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., have done that and more. More than 120 of Grissom's finest deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. "Our main job over here is to keep those planes flying," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremiah Rushmore, 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron communications and navigation systems technician. "It can be a big job, but it's what we are trained to do." Shortly after they deployed, the maintenance crews found out their job was no easy task, said Sergeant Rushmore. "When we first got here, we were in transition, so we didn't have all the people we needed," he said. "At times it got a little heavy, but we all pulled together and were able to get through it." With the first 21 days of the deployment complete and over 2.3 million pounds of fuel offloaded, the maintainers have contributed a lot to the war effort, he added. "I think our biggest contributions out here have been some of the simplest," said Senior Airman Brandon Strickland, 434th AMXS communications and navigation systems technician. "Making sure that all the systems work and giving a helping hand; there is not always enough people out there to cover the job, so going out and helping other people has been key to our success." The deployment may have had its pressures, but Airman Strickland said he was excited about that because it gave him valuable experience. "It's really exciting being out there, seeing new things and getting to assist other career fields I have had nothing to do with before," he said. "Being able to do the simple things like hooking a tow bar to an aircraft is really awesome." When asked if they felt prepared for this deployment, both maintenance Airmen said they felt more than ready. "We've all been trained really well for this job," said Sergeant Rushmore. "Sometimes there is a memory lapse, but you start back from what you learned in (technical) school and what you got taught at Grissom; then, you let it shine." Airman Strickland also added that this deployment is a very unique and interesting experience, especially for reservists. "Back home, we help planes fly for training, but here it's real world; who knows what they could be doing," he said. "They could be taking troops home or getting them off the battlefield; we get the chance to be a part of it instead of sitting on the sidelines." Both Airmen also said they felt like this deployment gave them valuable experiences outside of their Air Force career. "It's really neat, not just being part of the mission but being able to also come over here and experience the (Turkish) culture and meet the people," said Airman Strickland.
