Looking for Dedicated Crew Chiefs: Aircraft maintainers at Moody AFB, Ga., plan to get back to the good-old days of the mid-1990s when the base formally taps maintainers who exhibit initiative, leadership, and technical skill in maintaining the base’s HC-130 and HH-60 aircraft as “dedicated crew chiefs,” according to Maj. Don Russell, 347th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. These “best maintainers,” who must be at least staff sergeants and usually would hold a seven-level rating in their job skill, will have their names stenciled on their aircraft.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.