Team McChord trains NATO crew chiefs

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  When the new NATO base in Papa, Hungary, becomes fully operational in the next few months, Team McChord can take great pride in the fact it played a role in helping establish an installation which will support airlift operations of 12 nations.

Five flying crew chiefs -- three from Sweden, one from Norway and another from Estonia -- completed an 18-day training course here June 10, preparing them to work aboard three NATO C-17 Globemaster IIIs which will be stationed at the new base.

The Strategic Airlift Capability Partnership, which includes 10 NATO nations and two non-NATO members (Sweden and Finland), acquired the aircraft to increase NATO's ability to transport large numbers of troops and supplies throughout the world.

After completing a month-long C-17 familiarization course at the 373rd Training Squadron, Det. 12 here, the five airmen received some hands-on training detailing some of the more difficult and non-routine issues C-17 flying crew chiefs encounter, said instructor Master Sgt. Matthew Roder, 62nd Maintenance Operations Squadron.

"We're training them on problems and tasks they won't see on a regular basis," Sergeant Roder said.

Though all of the crew chiefs have several years of aviation maintenance experience under their belts, working on the C-17 is new territory.

"I've been working with the C-130 (Hercules), which is basically an old aircraft and this is a new aircraft with new technology, so that has been quite a bit of a challenge," said Capt. Stig Henriksen, Norwegian air force.

The course was also challenging in that instructors had to slow down and explain some of the aircraft's many system acronyms, further testing the compressed timeline allowed for completion, Sergeant Roder said.

"It's an intense course. It's more or less trying to drink water from a fire hose," Captain Henriksen said. "But there are things with the transition course that we've been able to repeat. It's a very good course and the instructors are well aware of what we do need to learn. I'm very impressed."

The new base will have three U.S. Airmen waiting to receive the five new crew chiefs to help them get acclimated to their new aircraft. Despite the support, the transition has brought a new way of doing business to the airmen.

"With the C-130 there were three mechanics aboard, now I'm going to be alone," said 1st Lt. Urban Rosberg, Swedish air force, who's worked on C-130s for nearly 25 years. "But we'll also have support from Boeing engineers, plus we'll get the newest block of C-17s."