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)
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
