Mechanic keeps the fighter planes flying

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Ricardo Branch
  • Northern Edge Joint Informaiton Bureau
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  More than 230 aircraft from all four military service are in Alaska flying in support of joint military training exercise Northern Edge. Flying hundreds of hours requires a lot of work from the pilots as well as many support personnel who make sure the aircraft fly safely. 

Mechanics from the joint services are working around the clock to keep aircraft in the sky. 

It's a lot of work keeping the fighters in the air," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Lester Pruitt, an F-15C crew chief with the 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit out of Kadena, Japan. "We have to make sure our piece of the exercise is successful, so the mission can be a success. Most people don't realize to get a fighter in the air for a couple hours can require many hours of inspections." 

The 32-year-old, Lexington, Ky., native is just one of three crew chiefs, who ensure the fighters in his unit are mission capable. 

"I come on for day shift and help break down all the tasks required for the jets," he said. "You have to have everything ready to go so the team knows all the servicing required for a particular jet." 

Some of the tasks Pruitt performs for the fighters are to run engine checks, monitor fuel levels, and conduct a full diagnostic on the aircraft to see if any additional services are required on them. 

Northern Edge is not Pruitt's first time in Alaska, however; he served as a mechanic during the Red Flag training exercise early last year. 

"These exercises are great training opportunities," he said. "With a mixture of the services, everyone can train together the same way for a mission. Northern Edge is the largest exercise in Alaska, so all the services working side-by-side makes the Air Force story and the military [strong] as a whole." 

The exercise is not just a great training opportunity for Pruitt, but a chance for the overseas Airman to go out and experience life in America again. 

"When we're off the flight line, we're hanging out and enjoying Alaska," he said. "There's a lot of outdoor stuff that we get to enjoy just being back in the states. From shopping, fishing, and just having a taste of American food - we're living it up as much as possible." 

Whatever the case, for this Japan-based Airman, the exercise is giving him a taste of home and allowing him to see the fruits of his labor when his work takes off down the runway. 

"Just seeing the jet take off is the satisfaction for me," Pruitt said. "Getting a broken jet, and seeing what you have to look into to fix it, and then seeing it off the next day is a great feeling." 

According to Pruitt, getting to have such a substantial role in supporting the F-15 mission is an honor that makes the hard work well worth it. He said the fighters have a challenging job and his mission to have the jets ready is his reward.