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Crew chiefs belong in same squadron as pilots

The Air Force should assign crew chiefs to the same units as pilots.

That thought arose during a trip in which I observed two crew chiefs enjoying a unique experience.

Staff Sgt. Abigail Curtis and Senior Airman Joshua Smith, of the 94th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Langley Air Force Base, Va., were invited to be part of an 18-person party, led by Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, that flew to Paris in late May. The group included three Raptor pilots as well.

Moseley’s delegation attended a ceremony to honor the Lafayette Escadrille, the American squadron that flew in the French air force before the U.S. entered World War I. The night before, American airmen dined with their French counterparts.

Moseley and French air force chief Gen. Stephane Abrial attended along with French fighter pilots and two French crew chiefs, Tech. Sgt. Bruno Fuentes and Staff Sgt. Alexis Rispal, who work on the Mirage 2000.

Surrounded by a lot of brass, the American and French crew chiefs swapped stories. It was obvious they felt a bond, not because our countries are allies but because there’s an infectious camaraderie among those who love aviation.

For the French, it was a chance to talk to airmen who maintain the most advanced fighter in the world. But the Mirage is a much-admired warplane, too. The American crew chiefs undoubtedly gained insights on how French maintainers keep them flying.

Crew chiefs don’t routinely sip champagne over hors d’oeuvres in Paris. Curtis made several deployments to the Middle East before she shifted from the F-15C Eagle to the F-22A, and she expects to go back.

In the French air arm, the commander of a fighter squadron is in charge of pilots and crew chiefs. This means a lot of face time for enlisted members, direct communication and unit cohesion. Our Air Force operated that way until 2002.

Today, crew chiefs are part of a maintenance group, not members of a combat squadron. This system has advantages, but it creates distance between crew chief and pilot. I would change the organizational structure so the aircraft maintenance unit is part of the flying squadron to which pilots belong.

When I enlisted in the Air Force 50 years ago, I wanted to be a crew chief of an F-100 Super Sabre. But with little mechanical aptitude, I was assigned elsewhere. Crew chiefs are the Air Force’s bedrock. They make it possible to fly and fight. Their duty assignments should reflect that fact.

The writer, an Air Force veteran, lives in Oakton, Va. His e-mail address is robert.f.dorr@cox .net.