The 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at JB Charleston, S.C., is emphasizing the importance of dedicated crew chiefs for each of the C-17 transports that it maintains, according to a base release. “A dedicated crew chief is expected to know our particular aircraft inside and out,” said TSgt. Joshua Drakos, a 437th AMXS crew chief, in Charleston’s Dec. 5 release. He added, “We know the history of the aircraft and recognize patterns or nuances that are much more in depth than someone not assigned to the aircraft.” Drakos, who has been a C-17 aircraft maintainer for 15 years, became a DCC during a ceremony in June, according to the release. He received a gray flight suit and a specially designed patch, identifiers for a DCC in the squadron. “We wanted the ceremony and uniforms to revitalize the DCC program,” said MSgt. William Henke, a 437th AMXS section chief. The DCCs play a big role in mentoring other crew chiefs on the flight line and in helping to mold future dedicated crew chiefs, states the release. “We want to use the old blood to build and train the new blood,” said Henke. (Charleston report by TSgt. Vernon Cunningham)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
