62nd Maintenance Operations Squadron works behind the scenes

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  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  While it's likely you won't see 62nd Maintenance Operations Squadron Airmen changing tires, swapping engines or replacing various parts on McChord's fleet of C-17 Globemaster IIIs, rest assured the squadron plays a vital role in keeping the wing's mission operating at a high level.

"We're behind the scenes ... we provide the intangibles that might not be as sexy as what you see on the flightline," said Maj. Thomas McAuley, 62nd MOS commander. "We're the function that allows the 62nd Maintenance Group commander to make sure things are running well."

The 62nd MOS is comprised of four flights -- maintenance operations center, plans and programs, quality assurance and maintenance training -- totaling nearly 70 Airmen and civilians.

No matter where in the world McChord C-17s fly, the MOC has an eye on them. The 24/7 center tracks all pertinent information about each aircraft with a staff of 16 controllers working four shifts, constantly providing updates to the group commander and Air Mobility Command on the status of each aircraft.

"The biggest thing we're responsible for is information," said Master Sgt. Stacy Mason, 62nd MOS and the MOC superintendent. "We're the belly button of maintenance."

If an aircraft breaks down at an austere location with no maintenance support, the MOC is the first to know about it and get the ball rolling on getting the jet back up and running. If an aircraft lands at McChord with damage to the fuselage and needs to know where to park on the flightline, the MOC has already got the proper flight notified to fix it and where to go.

"We may not get all the glory, but we're constantly making things happen," Sergeant Mason said.

Working hand-in-hand with the 62nd MXG and 62nd Operations Support Squadron, the 62nd MOS plans and programs flight provides support to ensure aircraft get scheduled for maintenance checks and everything fits into the flying schedule.

"There are lots of pieces involved in the mission which are tied into everything else," Major McAuley said.

To help sort that out, the 62nd MOS maintains the detailed maintenance history of each aircraft to help identify chronic problems that may impact aircraft reliability.

"If there are a lot of failures in a particular system, then we can go back and do the research," he said.

The squadron's quality assurance flight also keeps track of and identifies ways to improve a product when it fails, Major McAuley said.

And while a majority of the squadron's work involves taking care of aircraft, the training flight focuses on taking care of the next generation of maintenance Airmen.

Before heading off to their assigned flight within the maintenance group here, Airmen fresh from technical school spend anywhere from two weeks to more than two months at the squadron's training flight.

Through a combination of classroom learning, observational learning on the flightline and on the job training, 62nd MOS instructors prepare Airmen for their new jobs.

"The C-17 can be an intimidating aircraft when you're looking at it on the ground for the first time," said Senior Master Sgt. William Peoples, 62nd MOS chief of maintenance training. "Part of our teaching is confidence building and helping guide the new Airmen down the right track."

That education includes teaching Airmen to follow their maintenance manuals and where to turn and what questions to ask if they run into problems, Sergeant Peoples said.

"The instructors get a real sense of satisfaction when they see their Airmen graduate and move on," he said. "I tell them 'We're not going to be in the Air Force forever, so we're training our replacements.'"