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Honorary commanders get hands dirty with MX

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Three of Grissom's honorary commanders got their hands dirty while learning about the 434th Maintenance Group here at Grissom.

Leilan McNally, Jessica Green and Cassie Dull made their way from around Indiana to see first-hand how Grissom maintainers keep the base's fleet of KC-135R Stratotankers in such great condition.

The honorary commander program is a special community outreach activity designed to provide selected civic leaders with a unique look at Grissom and its many diverse missions.

The group had already taken flight on a KC-135 earlier in the year, where they remarked about the superb condition of the jet that was over 50 years old. During their tour, Grissom maintainers showed them a behind-the-scenes look at all the work that goes into making that a reality.

"This was really fun for me," said Green, honorary 434th Operations Group commander. "When I fly, I don't normally think about the mechanical side of things and what goes on behind the scenes."

During their visit, the honorary commanders visited the aerospace ground equipment, non-destructive inspection and sheet metal sections of the 434th MXG.

"I think the (nondestructive inspection) lab was most interesting thing for me, because I didn't realize how much they inspect including searching for cracks using magnetism and testing the contents of engine oil," said Green. "It was amazing to see what they could find and could tell what was going wrong with the aircraft just by looking at the contents of the oil."

The 434th MXG and 434th OG are part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air force Reserve Command. Airman and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer