Meet Your Military
- Details
- Hits: 13113
[caption id="attachment_4069" align="alignleft" width="299"]
After many Americans evacuated Egypt, their pets were left behind, but Army Capt. Eric Coulson helped to set up an impromptu pet kennel to care of the animals. Courtesy photo[/caption] WASHINGTON – On Jan. 25, Egyptians began protesting against the government of then-President Hosni Mubarak. By Feb. 1, the U.S. State Department had ordered the departure of all nonemergency U.S. government personnel and their families from Egypt.
After many Americans evacuated Egypt, their pets were left behind, but Army Capt. Eric Coulson helped to set up an impromptu pet kennel to care of the animals. Courtesy photo[/caption] WASHINGTON – On Jan. 25, Egyptians began protesting against the government of then-President Hosni Mubarak. By Feb. 1, the U.S. State Department had ordered the departure of all nonemergency U.S. government personnel and their families from Egypt.But not all "members" of the families departed. The four-legged ones stayed behind."A lot of people had pets that they really didn't have a good plan for being taken care of in the event of evacuation," said Army Capt. Eric Coulson, who works in office of military cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo as part of a team that manages nearly $1.3 billion in annual aid to the Egyptian military. "And the vets and the kennels here were kind of overwhelmed." Coulson's wife, Karen, left Egypt -- but he and the couple's two dogs, Molly and Sayeret, stayed behind. Coulson and a fellow soldier at the embassy, Army Maj. Alavora Roa, teamed up to take care of those pets that were left behind when their owners departed the country. "We sort of organized an emergency kennel for all the people who didn't have a place to put their animals while they were being evacuated," Coulson said. "We sort of reached out to people we knew had animals." In all, Coulson and Roa found themselves running an impromptu pet hotel for about 20 animals, scattered among the deserted apartments of their coworkers who had evacuated. The two checked in on their co-workers’ apartments and also stopped in to feed and walk the animals. One co-worker, Coulson said, had a fairly large roof available on his apartment, and they kept several animals there. "We consolidated them at the apartment of one of the other persons involved in this -- he has a large roof, and we put them on the roof with some shelter with large water bowls and large food bowls, and we took turns taking them out." Coulson said the local Purina distributor in Cairo made a generous donation of supplies to keep the kennel operating. "Most of the people who were leaving told us where to pick up dog food," he said. "The local Purina dealer did give us a couple hundred pounds of dog food, as well as cat litter and cat food. Between what people had and a generous donation from the Purina dealer here in Cairo, we've been able to take care of the animals at minimal expense." Now, several of the pet owners have come back to Egypt, Coulson said, and some of the pets have been shipped back to their owners. Coulson's pet boarding days eventually will be a distant memory, but the events in Egypt will stay fresh for a while, he said. The speed at which events in Egypt unfolded was thrilling, he said. "It went from probably about 10 miles an hour to 60 miles an hour in just a matter of days," he said. "It was absolutely interesting to watch -- to be in the middle of history." The recent events weren't the first time Coulson has been struck by historical change in Egypt. He was just 13 when President Anwar Sadat was assassinated -- old enough to be able to gauge the impact and significance of what had happened. "That was sort of one of my first big memory of things in the news -- of what we had as far as 'wall-to-wall coverage' back in 1981," he said. "I remember being riveted by the TV. "The two transitions of power in Egyptian history that have taken place in my life are really sort of important memories to me," Coulson added. March 16, 2011: By C. Todd Lopez- Army News Service
- Details
- Hits: 2051
[caption id="attachment_4079" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Christian Kapler talks on a cell phone with his interpreter March 5, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Torkham Gate in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Matson[/caption] NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Army Sgt. Christian Kapler is a busy man. Anywhere people walk on Forward Operating Base Torkham Gate on the Afghanistan and Pakistan border, they will see something Kapler built, repaired or improved.
Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Christian Kapler talks on a cell phone with his interpreter March 5, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Torkham Gate in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Matson[/caption] NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Army Sgt. Christian Kapler is a busy man. Anywhere people walk on Forward Operating Base Torkham Gate on the Afghanistan and Pakistan border, they will see something Kapler built, repaired or improved.“My dad would say it’s genetics,â€Â said Kapler, a burly, soft-spoken infantryman from Oelwein, Iowa, with Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, who serves as the base’s manager. “My grandfather had a little shop and built everything he had -- his house and all. I don’t know what he actually did for a job other than build things.â€ÂLike his grandfather, Kapler said he enjoys working with his hands. “I was always tinkering and building things when I was a kid, going to the lumber yard and getting scrap wood and building stuff,â€Â he said. “I did handyman stuff when I was older and started going to school at a community college for architecture and contracting, but I kept getting deployed, so I never finished college. I think the unit knows building stuff is the type of thing I excel at.â€Â Torkham Gate has been home to Company B, part of the Iowa National Guard’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Task Force Red Bulls, since October, and the base is expanding. Kapler supervises 44 Afghan workers of various trades and abilities. He said he appreciates the work his crew does, despite what can be a challenging process of getting supplies and proper tools. He said when his team wants to get something done, they do it quickly. His company commander, Army Capt. Kevin Hrodey, from Pleasant Hill, Iowa, said he is impressed with Kapler’s accomplishments. “It is amazing to look at pictures of the [base] from when we first took over operations and then walk around now and see how much it has actually changed,â€Â Hrodey said. Hrodey noted that people can see the results of Kapler’s efforts everywhere they look. His projects have improved all aspects of life on the base, the captain said, from its defense to quality of life to the maintenance facility. One repair that took some innovation was Kapler’s upgrade to the firing range. Before he and his crew got their hands on it, the range was a berm surrounded by sand-basket barriers, with some old, neglected targets and a few stakes in the ground that marked the distance. “We use the cardboard from water pallets as target backing,â€Â Kapler said. The older targets were fixed, and Kapler’s crew installed conduit so targets could be replaced easily once they started deteriorating. He used unserviceable dining facility tables as firing benches, weapons racks, new metal distance markers, a reinforced berm and a camouflage net awning to provide shade. A 15-year veteran of the Iowa National Guard, Kapler deployed to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq with Company B, before deploying here. He worked construction in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before becoming a union carpenter. Between deployments, Kapler married an Oelwein, Iowa, woman, and is the proud father of three children. Kapler said he plans to start a tool-rental business when he returns to Iowa, and his wife is taking accounting classes so she can help to run the administrative side of the business. March 14, 2011: By Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Matson- Task Force Red Bulls
- Details
- Hits: 3773
[caption id="attachment_4076" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Kohany sings the national anthem at the retirement ceremony for Brig. Gen. Ronald Morrow, deputy commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, in Springfield, Ill., Jan. 22, 2011. U.S Army photo by Sgt. James Sims[/caption] SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The little girl climbed the stairs to her room and shut the door. The world faded away as she grabbed her hairbrush and took the stage before an imaginary audience of thousands of screaming fans.
Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Kohany sings the national anthem at the retirement ceremony for Brig. Gen. Ronald Morrow, deputy commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, in Springfield, Ill., Jan. 22, 2011. U.S Army photo by Sgt. James Sims[/caption] SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The little girl climbed the stairs to her room and shut the door. The world faded away as she grabbed her hairbrush and took the stage before an imaginary audience of thousands of screaming fans.For as long as she can remember, Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Kohany of Chicago, an Illinois National Guard intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33rd Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, has been singing in front of the mirror in her room as she did growing up in Valhalla, N.Y., or in a stadium filled with thousands of people before various military functions and sporting events. “I can't remember not hearing Jenny sing,â€Â said Debbie Kohany of Oak Lawn, Ill., the soldier’s mother. “She was in chorus from first grade all the way through graduation of high school. I would so love hearing her sing at home when she was in her room, whether it was opera, country or rock. When Jen sings, her face lights up and her eyes sparkle. You can see how much she loves to sing.â€Â Kohany continued her passion while attending Columbia College in Chicago. “In college I was involved with Columbia College's chorus, and considered a major in vocal performance, but decided instead to major in American sign -language interpretation,â€Â she said. When Kohany was in basic training, one of her drill sergeants emphasized the importance of being aware of U.S. military history, in addition to learning basic warrior skills. She was randomly chosen and asked if she knew the national anthem, she said, and having grown up in a patriotic family, she did. Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Bannerâ€Â during the British attack on U.S. forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. “They called me to the front of the ‘war room’ and called everyone to attention while I sang,â€Â Kohany said. “The drill sergeants stood there in shock that not only did I know the words, but I actually knew how to sing, as well.â€Â Since then, fellow soldiers have asked her to sing at various events. Kohany was part of the Illinois Army National Guard’s largest call-up since World War II and deployed to Afghanistan with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2008. During her deployment, a contest called Phoenix Idol showcased the talent of soldiers serving in Task Force Phoenix. “A good friend of mine, Staff Sergeant Adam Gordon, was the emcee of Phoenix Idol and asked if I would come out on New Year’s Eve and participate,â€Â Kohany said. “I obliged, with no intention of entering the competition, because I had a pretty hectic schedule and didn't really have the time to learn and practice music for each week’s category.â€Â Kohany did not win the contest, but was noticed by several soldiers on Camp Phoenix. She was introduced to Tom Negovan, a WGN reporter from Chicago, while he was visiting Camp Phoenix to do a three-part series on Afghanistan, she said. “[Negovan] interviewed me, and asked if I would have any interest in singing at a Cubs game when I returned back to the states,â€Â Kohany said. “Sure enough, we stayed in touch, and as soon as I had a number to call, I was receiving a call from a Cubs publicist, asking if I'd be available to sing for the opening.â€Â Though she grew up as a Yankees fan, Kohany said, she also likes the Chicago Cubs. Singing in front of 40,000 people, with her friends and family present, was amazing, she added. “Listening to someone who has given their blood, sweat and tears for this country and then so passionately sings our national anthem gives me chills every time,â€Â said Army Staff Sgt. John Robinson of Champaign, who served with Kohany as a chaplain’s assistant in Afghanistan. “I believe every time someone like Jen sings it, she does it as an honor to our nation and for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.â€Â Her most meaningful performance came in June 2005, though not on the happiest note, Kohany said. “My mom had been engaged to one of the most incredible people I've ever met, Eamonn,â€Â she said. “They had put off getting married while I was in college, but because of the closeness of our relationship, I referred to him as my stepdad. My mom manages a small Irish bar on the south side of Chicago. Every so often, I would stop in on a Friday night when Eamonn could persuade me to sing on karaoke night. He was really the only person who could charm me into singing there, and always asked me to sing ‘Angel’ by Sarah McLaughlin; both mine and his favorite song.â€Â That January, a friend of Eamonn’s died, and he asked Kohany to sing a couple of songs at the wake. After the church ceremony, someone approached Eamonn and complimented the voice of his “daughter.â€Â “He acknowledged his pride, and it was one of the prouder moments in my own life,â€Â Kohany said. “Little did I know that only six months later, Eamonn would pass away, while at work, at 1 o’clock in the morning. “It was one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do,â€Â she continued, “but I knew it would mean the world to my mom and family. So at his memorial ceremony, I sang ‘Angel.’ That certainly wasn't my favorite performance, but it was the most monumental. It was hard, and I knew that if I could get through the song that I could do nearly anything, and I know that he would've been proud.â€Â Kohany said her mother has encouraged her to pursue a career in singing, but that she sings for the love of singing, not the love of fame. “I do it because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get discovered or anything like that,â€Â she said. “Since high school, she has urged me to pursue a singing career, but I've found my niche with the military, and I'm pretty happy with that.â€Â March 11, 2011: By Army Sgt. James Sims- 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
- Details
- Hits: 4516
[caption id="attachment_4084" align="alignleft" width="299"]
Air Force 1st Lt. Candice Killian is the first woman to qualify as a CV-22 Osprey pilot. U.S. Air Force photo by Stefan T. Bocchino[/caption] KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – After nearly three years of flight training, an Air Force officer has become the first qualified female pilot of the CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
Air Force 1st Lt. Candice Killian is the first woman to qualify as a CV-22 Osprey pilot. U.S. Air Force photo by Stefan T. Bocchino[/caption] KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – After nearly three years of flight training, an Air Force officer has become the first qualified female pilot of the CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft."I had two major influences for initially getting interested in flying," 1st Lt. Candice Killian said. "One was my grandfather. He flew civilian aircraft. I never got to see them, because I was too young, but I saw pictures of them at his house and he would tell me stories. The other was a friend who flew. His father was in the Air Force. When my friend went to the Air Force Academy, he encouraged me to learn to fly."Killian said she went to her local airport to look into flying lessons. Within 18 months, she completed her private pilot's license and decided she wanted to join the Air Force to make a positive difference, serve her country and fulfill her desire to fly. She went to the Air Force Academy to start her training. "I found out that I was going to fly for the Air Force my senior year at the academy," Killian said. "The undergraduate pilot training track is very broad at first, but you find out where you're going at the academy at what we call '100 days.' It's a dinner and a celebration where they tell you where you're going to go. It's your senior year, and you finally know where you're going." From the academy, Killian went to initial pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. The initial training, on the T-6A Texan II training aircraft, took about six months and included flight training and academics. After that, she went to Fort Rucker, Ala., to learn how to fly the UH-1 Huey helicopter. "I knew I wanted to fly helicopters," Killian said. "I like the mission role that helicopters in the Air Force generally fly, the broad spectrum of things we can do. Upon completion of the course at Fort Rucker, you can get CV-22s, UH-1s or HH-60 [Pave Hawks]. The mission of the Osprey is very appealing." After undergraduate pilot training, Killian was chosen to train as a pilot on the CV-22. The initial training took place in a joint program with the Marine Corps at Air Station New River, N.C. All Air Force CV-22 pilots complete the Marine course, where they are taught general aircraft systems and the basics about flying a tilt-rotor aircraft. "Working with the Marines was a lot of fun and really fulfilling," she said. "To experience their culture and how they train was awesome. I had the opportunity to be instructed by them and see the different learning styles they used." After training with the Marines, Killian came here to complete her CV-22-unique mission training with the 58th Special Operations Wing. "I didn't find out I was the first female pilot until they chose me," she said. "I remember being told, 'You're the first.' It's an honor that they would choose me. It's nice to be a part of this elite organization." Each pilot who graduates from CV-22 training receives a coin from the commander, with a number signifying where they fall in the training pipeline, said Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Riddick, 71st Special Operations Squadron commander. Killian’s number is 97. "She's done very well in the course," Riddick said. "It's been fantastic having her here, and I look forward to hearing about her career." From here, Killian will move on to her next duty station at Hurlburt Field, Fla. "I want to continue to do well," she said. "For all those who have influenced me along the way, I can't thank them enough. Without them, I probably would not be here. I want to thank everyone for their positive guidance." March 10, 2011: By Stefan T. Bocchino- 377th Air Base Wing
- Details
- Hits: 3041
[caption id="attachment_4098" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Then-Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bill Gross, a KC-10 Extender crew chief, stands on the flightline at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1991. Gross, who was in Hawaii to help in commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. U.S. Air Force photo[/caption] JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Aircraft 79-0434, the first KC-10 Extender delivered to the Air Force, landed March 17, 1981, at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
Then-Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bill Gross, a KC-10 Extender crew chief, stands on the flightline at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1991. Gross, who was in Hawaii to help in commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. U.S. Air Force photo[/caption] JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Aircraft 79-0434, the first KC-10 Extender delivered to the Air Force, landed March 17, 1981, at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.At the same time, 400 miles away, a young Air Force trainee enduring the rigors of basic training was unaware that his career –- and his life –- would be so deeply tied to that aircraft.The KC-10 is closing in on its 30th year of providing air refueling and airlift for U.S. military operations around the globe. Few airmen serving today are as connected to the KC-10’s history as Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Bill Gross, a crew chief with the 714th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here. Gross’ career has marched practically in lockstep with the aircraft known by the last three digits of its tail number: 434. “This is a tanker that has served in just about every major military operation in the last 20 years,â€Â he said. “I am proud to have been the crew chief on such a historical and tenured warfighting machine.â€Â Before working on 434, Gross served as an active-duty crew chief on a B-52 Stratofortress. Upon completing his initial enlistment, he left the Air Force and returned to his hometown in the suburbs of Chicago. But he soon realized that his hometown had stayed the same, while he had changed. “After being responsible for a multi-million-dollar aircraft, going back to a childhood job seemed like a dead end,â€Â he said. Knowing that aircraft maintenance was one of his personal strengths, Gross searched for aviation-related career opportunities. He eventually learned that full-time KC-10 crew chiefs were needed in an Air Force Reserve unit at Barksdale. He got the job and unpacked his Air Force uniforms for the first time in more than a year. The unit was bringing in a lot of new aircraft maintenance personnel, and Gross said he hadn’t really considered which aircraft he’d be assigned to. Gross said his time as an air reserve technician at Barksdale was special, both personally and professionally. Not only did he raise his two children there, but he also made many strong relationships with his fellow airmen. Time and distance have made it difficult to maintain many of those relationships, he said, but keeping in touch with one of his Barksdale buddies is no problem for Gross –- he just turns to his left.
[caption id="attachment_4097" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Bill Gross, a KC-10 Extender crew chief, stands on the flightline at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., March 8, 2011. Sergeant Gross was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. U.S. Air Force photo , Dec. 7, 1991.[/caption] Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Todd Harris shares an office with Gross. The chief said he clearly recalls his office mate’s work ethic and dedication when he was a young noncommissioned officer. “He took it to another level,â€Â Harris said of Gross. “If you were going to be working on his aircraft, you had better keep it clean and do proper maintenance, or believe me, you would hear about it.â€Â That level of dedication almost killed Gross. While working on 434 one day, he was informed of a storm that was quickly approaching Barksdale. He had been involved in heavy maintenance, and the tanker was opened up, exposing some of its critical components. He couldn’t let 434 face the storm in its current state. Gross said he rushed to prepare the jet, but he took just a little too long. “This big ‘boom’ happened, and the next thing I knew, I was in the back of a maintenance truck being taken to the emergency room,â€Â he recalled. Lightning had struck the aircraft and surged through the crew chief, knocking him off his feet. “Everyone always says that 434 and I are bonded for life, because we got struck by lightning together,â€Â he said. “It’s not an experience I’d want to relive,â€Â he added. Gross recounted that just as he was reaching his prime as a hands-on crew chief in the late 1980s, the KC-10 was reaching its prime as an operational asset for U.S. military operations. Their timing couldn’t have been much better, because tensions were escalating in the Persian Gulf. The airman and the aircraft were given an opportunity to prove their capabilities in combat operations. While much of the accolades for the initial stages of Operation Desert Shield go to F-15 fighter jets, Gross said, the fighters, with their limited fuel capacity, could not have been in the fight without the support of their tankers. “How do you think they got there?â€Â he said. After Iraq’s military had been subdued during Operation Desert Storm, the KC-10s continued to rotate in and out of the Middle East in support of operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. However, things were changing back home. The balance of the stateside fleet was leaving Barksdale for locations closer to the coasts –- Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. The reorganization had a significant impact on Barksdale airmen, many of whom were lifelong Louisiana residents. The airmen were given a choice to follow the KC-10s to their new bases or remain to work on the B-52s that were moving to Barksdale. “We didn’t really want to leave,â€Â Gross said. If he stayed at Barksdale, Gross would be able to use his experience as former B-52 crew chief. But he had two important reasons to move to the Garden State. Since so many of his fellow unit members decided to remain at Barksdale, a move to McGuire would open many promotion opportunities with much less experienced competition. He also had grown attached to his airplane, he added, and wasn’t ready to bid it farewell. “It would have been hard,â€Â he said. On Oct. 1, 1994, aircraft 434 was the first KC-10 to be transferred to McGuire. Gross was part of the crew that flew the tanker to its new home that day. Aircraft 434 wasn’t the first in everything it did. Gross said that in one particular case, 434 was last. Air Mobility Command officials decided the KC-10’s white-top paint scheme would be abandoned in favor of an all-grey scheme. Gross said he thought 434 was fine as it was, and he didn’t really support the change. He kept finding good excuses to keep the tanker out of the paint barn, he said, and the strategy worked for a little while, though he knew it was only a matter of time before the painters caught up with him. “I told them that they might paint it grey,â€Â he said. “But it would have a big, white ‘X’ on top where I would lay while trying to stop them.â€Â They ended up painting it while he was on leave, he said. The KC-10 and its maintenance and operations personnel continued to support ongoing operations in the Middle East throughout the 1990s, and just as the millennium was about to come to a close, the Balkans erupted in violence. Gross and 434 were called upon to serve overseas again in support of Operation Allied Force. During the operation, 434 was able to demonstrate its versatility. The aircraft provided aerial refueling on several missions, but also shuttled refugees from harm’s way in Kosovo to safety in the United States. As the new millennium arrived, the KC-10’s services still were in high demand. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the crew chief and his tanker deployed in support of multiple operations throughout the Middle East. Though Gross and 434 had been brothers in arms for many years, promotions eventually took him away from his role as the tanker’s primary caretaker. He became a production superintendent, the shift leader who cruised the flightline in a pick-up truck while coordinating the all the squadron’s on-aircraft maintenance activities. His duties kept him close to the aircraft and to the airmen who replaced him, but he missed doing the job himself. “My co-workers always tell me it’s time to move on,â€Â he said. “But I’m a wrench turner at heart.â€Â Gross said it took some effort to not give special attention to 434 and to focus on the maintenance status of all of the KC-10s equally. But occasionally, he added, he’d jump out of his truck for a few minutes to lend a hand and a word of advice to the airmen who were working on his jet. “He tries very hard to share his knowledge and experiences with the young airmen and pass on his pride of the KC-10,â€Â Harris said. “When he hears maintainers referring to 434 on the radio, he often chimes in with a sometimes-unconventional suggestion that reflects one of the aircraft’s quirks.â€Â The next promotion took Gross away from 434 and the flightline and into his current position as a desk-bound flight chief. Initially, he acknowledged, the new job was tough because he no longer worked on aircraft –- he worked on airmen. He didn’t start to feel comfortable in the flight chief position, he said, until he was advised to think of personnel and administrative issues like aircraft maintenance issues. Gross since has warmed to his position as flight chief, but Harris said he knows his old friend would trade in his keyboard for a wrench in a heartbeat. “To this day, 434 is the No. 1 thing on his mind,â€Â the chief said. “When anyone mentions 434, his ears perk up.â€Â Gross doesn’t deny the chief’s description. “I still have a personal dedication to the aircraft,â€Â he said. Aircraft 434, like most KC-10s, is projected to serve through 2043. Gross, however, has just a few years of service left before reaching his mandatory retirement date. “There will never be another KC-10 crew chief who takes more pride in his aircraft than Sergeant Gross,â€Â Harris said. “It will be a sad day for the Air Force and the KC-10 when he finally hangs up his uniform for the last time.â€Â Gross acknowledges his connection to 434, but insists that many other airmen have helped to keep the tanker in a mission-ready state through its 30 years of service. “That aircraft has a lot of history,â€Â he said. “A lot of people have worked on it and bled on it.â€Â Though the next generation of airmen will continue to work on 434, none will be able to claim a career that was so deeply linked to one airplane like Gross. “One day, I hope to take my grandchildren to a museum or a base where they will eventually retire 434 upon a block of concrete, dedicating it forever as the first KC-10 delivered to the Air Force,â€Â he said. “And maybe, just maybe, some historian will put my name in the crew chief block, and I can say to them that I was the crew chief for that airplane.â€Â March 9, 2011: By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shawn J. Jones- 514th Air Mobility Wing
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Bill Gross, a KC-10 Extender crew chief, stands on the flightline at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., March 8, 2011. Sergeant Gross was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. U.S. Air Force photo , Dec. 7, 1991.[/caption] Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Todd Harris shares an office with Gross. The chief said he clearly recalls his office mate’s work ethic and dedication when he was a young noncommissioned officer. “He took it to another level,â€Â Harris said of Gross. “If you were going to be working on his aircraft, you had better keep it clean and do proper maintenance, or believe me, you would hear about it.â€Â That level of dedication almost killed Gross. While working on 434 one day, he was informed of a storm that was quickly approaching Barksdale. He had been involved in heavy maintenance, and the tanker was opened up, exposing some of its critical components. He couldn’t let 434 face the storm in its current state. Gross said he rushed to prepare the jet, but he took just a little too long. “This big ‘boom’ happened, and the next thing I knew, I was in the back of a maintenance truck being taken to the emergency room,â€Â he recalled. Lightning had struck the aircraft and surged through the crew chief, knocking him off his feet. “Everyone always says that 434 and I are bonded for life, because we got struck by lightning together,â€Â he said. “It’s not an experience I’d want to relive,â€Â he added. Gross recounted that just as he was reaching his prime as a hands-on crew chief in the late 1980s, the KC-10 was reaching its prime as an operational asset for U.S. military operations. Their timing couldn’t have been much better, because tensions were escalating in the Persian Gulf. The airman and the aircraft were given an opportunity to prove their capabilities in combat operations. While much of the accolades for the initial stages of Operation Desert Shield go to F-15 fighter jets, Gross said, the fighters, with their limited fuel capacity, could not have been in the fight without the support of their tankers. “How do you think they got there?â€Â he said. After Iraq’s military had been subdued during Operation Desert Storm, the KC-10s continued to rotate in and out of the Middle East in support of operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. However, things were changing back home. The balance of the stateside fleet was leaving Barksdale for locations closer to the coasts –- Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. The reorganization had a significant impact on Barksdale airmen, many of whom were lifelong Louisiana residents. The airmen were given a choice to follow the KC-10s to their new bases or remain to work on the B-52s that were moving to Barksdale. “We didn’t really want to leave,â€Â Gross said. If he stayed at Barksdale, Gross would be able to use his experience as former B-52 crew chief. But he had two important reasons to move to the Garden State. Since so many of his fellow unit members decided to remain at Barksdale, a move to McGuire would open many promotion opportunities with much less experienced competition. He also had grown attached to his airplane, he added, and wasn’t ready to bid it farewell. “It would have been hard,â€Â he said. On Oct. 1, 1994, aircraft 434 was the first KC-10 to be transferred to McGuire. Gross was part of the crew that flew the tanker to its new home that day. Aircraft 434 wasn’t the first in everything it did. Gross said that in one particular case, 434 was last. Air Mobility Command officials decided the KC-10’s white-top paint scheme would be abandoned in favor of an all-grey scheme. Gross said he thought 434 was fine as it was, and he didn’t really support the change. He kept finding good excuses to keep the tanker out of the paint barn, he said, and the strategy worked for a little while, though he knew it was only a matter of time before the painters caught up with him. “I told them that they might paint it grey,â€Â he said. “But it would have a big, white ‘X’ on top where I would lay while trying to stop them.â€Â They ended up painting it while he was on leave, he said. The KC-10 and its maintenance and operations personnel continued to support ongoing operations in the Middle East throughout the 1990s, and just as the millennium was about to come to a close, the Balkans erupted in violence. Gross and 434 were called upon to serve overseas again in support of Operation Allied Force. During the operation, 434 was able to demonstrate its versatility. The aircraft provided aerial refueling on several missions, but also shuttled refugees from harm’s way in Kosovo to safety in the United States. As the new millennium arrived, the KC-10’s services still were in high demand. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the crew chief and his tanker deployed in support of multiple operations throughout the Middle East. Though Gross and 434 had been brothers in arms for many years, promotions eventually took him away from his role as the tanker’s primary caretaker. He became a production superintendent, the shift leader who cruised the flightline in a pick-up truck while coordinating the all the squadron’s on-aircraft maintenance activities. His duties kept him close to the aircraft and to the airmen who replaced him, but he missed doing the job himself. “My co-workers always tell me it’s time to move on,â€Â he said. “But I’m a wrench turner at heart.â€Â Gross said it took some effort to not give special attention to 434 and to focus on the maintenance status of all of the KC-10s equally. But occasionally, he added, he’d jump out of his truck for a few minutes to lend a hand and a word of advice to the airmen who were working on his jet. “He tries very hard to share his knowledge and experiences with the young airmen and pass on his pride of the KC-10,â€Â Harris said. “When he hears maintainers referring to 434 on the radio, he often chimes in with a sometimes-unconventional suggestion that reflects one of the aircraft’s quirks.â€Â The next promotion took Gross away from 434 and the flightline and into his current position as a desk-bound flight chief. Initially, he acknowledged, the new job was tough because he no longer worked on aircraft –- he worked on airmen. He didn’t start to feel comfortable in the flight chief position, he said, until he was advised to think of personnel and administrative issues like aircraft maintenance issues. Gross since has warmed to his position as flight chief, but Harris said he knows his old friend would trade in his keyboard for a wrench in a heartbeat. “To this day, 434 is the No. 1 thing on his mind,â€Â the chief said. “When anyone mentions 434, his ears perk up.â€Â Gross doesn’t deny the chief’s description. “I still have a personal dedication to the aircraft,â€Â he said. Aircraft 434, like most KC-10s, is projected to serve through 2043. Gross, however, has just a few years of service left before reaching his mandatory retirement date. “There will never be another KC-10 crew chief who takes more pride in his aircraft than Sergeant Gross,â€Â Harris said. “It will be a sad day for the Air Force and the KC-10 when he finally hangs up his uniform for the last time.â€Â Gross acknowledges his connection to 434, but insists that many other airmen have helped to keep the tanker in a mission-ready state through its 30 years of service. “That aircraft has a lot of history,â€Â he said. “A lot of people have worked on it and bled on it.â€Â Though the next generation of airmen will continue to work on 434, none will be able to claim a career that was so deeply linked to one airplane like Gross. “One day, I hope to take my grandchildren to a museum or a base where they will eventually retire 434 upon a block of concrete, dedicating it forever as the first KC-10 delivered to the Air Force,â€Â he said. “And maybe, just maybe, some historian will put my name in the crew chief block, and I can say to them that I was the crew chief for that airplane.â€Â March 9, 2011: By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shawn J. Jones- 514th Air Mobility Wing