Technicians from the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, traveled to Moody AFB, Ga., earlier this month to train A-10 maintainers how to repair major cracks on the close air support aircraft. The Air Force in October identified some 130 A-10s with so-called thin-skin wings that potentially have major fatigue cracking problems, grounding the aircraft pending inspection and repair. The depot team passed on their crack-repair knowledge to the Moody maintainers, giving them hands-on instruction with some of the more than 10 Hogs at the Georgia facility that need repair. Joining the Moody airmen were another 40 active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command maintainers from units that fly A-10s. “It would cost too much to fly all the aircraft to Hill,” said MSgt. Steve Grimes, Air Combat Command Headquarters A-10 maintenance liaison. He added, “It would also take longer to repair all since three could only be sent at a time.” (Moody report by A1C Frances Locquiao)
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.