How to be a Crew Chief.

**Cepheid** · 08-19-2011, 01:30 PM

Cr0n0s wants to know what its like. Heres the general rundown.

Crew Chief is the 2a3X3 AFSC. It is under the maintenance section of your ASVAB (you will need a score of at least 56 on that section).

2 months of basic training, 5 months of tech school where you learn basic airframe stuff. Then its off to your first base. You spend your first year there doing OJT and Career Development Courses (CDC's), until you earn your 5 level. That will take you until you make Staff (E-5), when you become a 7 level.

Tech school (AKA Cold Training) is fairly easy if you are naturally inclined towards school. The hold your hands through the sections. The first two blocks are the "Commons" class. They cover the general principles of flight, tools, running AGE (Aerospace ground equipment).

The next 6 block are airframe specific. Each section covers a specific part of the aircraft. Block 4 is Hydraulics and the various components. Block 8 is your Inspection block. Shows you how to properly inspect the jets. Each block is ended by a test.

After you graduate, you go to your Hot Training. F-16 Hot Training is at Luke AFB, Arizona. F-15s are in Tyndal AFB, Florida (I think). You spend a month learning basic launch and recovery procedures, as well as basic servicing. It is mainly intended so you can go straight onto the line and start work as soon as you arrive at your new base.

Once you get to your base, most people just do standard launch and recovery for the first few months. Jets go up, jets come down. Refueling, Inspections and such. Fairly tame. Day shift stuff.

Once you have proved that you know most of the stuff involved, you can move to Swing Shift (Usually, more often than not, the heavy maintenance shift). This is where the meat and potatos of the crew chief world is.

The breakdown of the work sections in your unit is generally as follows.

Specialists (Specs): Avionics, Electrical and Environmental, Engines. Pretty straight forward, if its got wires or circuits, it falls on these guys. The motor is mostly self contained, so anything that directly effects it is handled by the Engine troops.

Pretty much anything mechanical or hydraulic is left to the crew chief. As well as any servicing or standard maintenance (Tires, Brakes, oil, pneumatic servicing.)

**Kozality** · 08-19-2011, 01:41 PM

Nice writeup. Maybe expand on it a bit, and send it in to AoM's
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=D

**Cepheid** · 08-19-2011, 01:55 PM

Thats kind of the overall run down on becoming a crew chief.

Being a crew chief.... I dont know if I can accurately describe what its like.

First things first, Flexibility. You work the flying schedule. So if Ops wants take offs to be at 5am, then you will rolling into work around 3 am. But if thursday they want take offs to be at noon, then you will roll in at 10am or so. Ive started work on a different hour of the day, every day for two weeks.

Hey today you worked 8 hours, GOOD JOB, you did a full days work. Tomorrow you start mandatory 12 hour shifts until otherwise told. Your FMC rate just fell below 85% and we need you to work extra hard. Also you will be coming in at 8am on saturday and sunday.

If they want to fly centerline tanks on 8 jets, and wing tanks on 6 for one week. Then they want 4 centerlines and 10 wing tanks for the next. Then the week after that they want all centerlines.

Sounds easy, wing tanks arent too hard to r2. Except they dont just want 4 jets with centerlines, they want 4 specific jets with centerlines. Jets that dont already have them installed. So its musical fuel tanks every friday. Reconfig Fridays. Good times.

I suppose Im just going to rant instead of typing my empirical data.

You work long hours. Long and inconsistent.

Nothing you do will ever live up to what your supervision wants. Either is wasnt done fast enough, or something.

(Ive been to two bases, supposedly the worst in the f-16 world, so my data might be biased)

The Brass up top sees numbers. You Fully Mission Capable rate, can only dip so low before shit starts rolling downhill. They dont see jets that were designed for 2000 hours and are steadily creeping towards 8000.

Crew chiefs are just about the lowest people on the air force totem pole. Its been conditioned into our heads to be proud that we are treated the worst. So when someone makes rank, they dont ever put there heads up and fight. It is so ingrained to just shut up and work.

The good ones, the people who make your job tolerable, who really really know what they are doing. The ones that know how to manage people, boost morale, increase productivity. They get out. They go and do something else. Because its a broken career.

Maybe Im just bitter and disgruntled. I certainly dont see the whole picture. Im just the little peon, with the Gods stomping around in the clouds.

Dont be fooled though. People enjoy this job. People like what they do, and... most of the time, they do it well.

Questions?

---------- Post added 08-19-2011 at 04:57 PM ----------

	Originally Posted by Kozality To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Nice writeup. Maybe expand on it a bit, and send it in to AoM's To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. =D

You dont want my job. I would almost guarantee it.

**RBM** · 08-19-2011, 02:22 PM

	Originally Posted by Cepheid
	Questions?

Are you going to re-up or get out ? Whenever that time arrives.

Thanks for the interesting run down.

I went in as open electronics in '78, became a 309X0 and permanent partied at Eglin AFB at Site C-6 on the FPS-85. Got out in '82.

The two guys that went to specialty school with at Keesler, were always dreaming about being pilots. After a while the dreams changed.

**Cepheid** · 08-19-2011, 02:57 PM

I can definitely say I wouldnt want to be a pilot. It would be awesome to fly planes, but the rest...

I have about 3 years left till my enlistments up. Im going to put in for re-training next july. If I get it, its another enlistment. If I dont... I dont know yet.

Looking into
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**RBM** · 08-19-2011, 03:46 PM

	Originally Posted by Cepheid To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I can definitely say I wouldnt want to be a pilot. It would be awesome to fly planes, but the rest... I have about 3 years left till my enlistments up. Im going to put in for re-training next july. If I get it, its another enlistment. If I dont... I dont know yet. Looking into To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Is where you're at or where you want to go, 'shortage' fields ?

Have you started looking at civilian equivalent positions yet ?

**Phenom** · 08-19-2011, 06:50 PM

You ever try to go officer route via an enlisted commissioning program?

**Cepheid** · 08-20-2011, 05:55 AM

	Originally Posted by RBM To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is where you're at or where you want to go, 'shortage' fields ? Have you started looking at civilian equivalent positions yet ?

I'm pretty sure 9s100 is not a shortage field, but im still going to try. Crew Chiefs slip in and out of being a critically manned field every few months.

Im going to work on getting my A&P license so that if and when i get out i have something to fall back on. I don't particularly want to do this job on the outside.

	Originally Posted by Phenom
	You ever try to go officer route via an enlisted commissioning program?

I've looked into the programs to do it. If cross training falls through, or for other reasons I haven't figured out yet, I am considering it an option.

**RBM** · 08-20-2011, 06:56 AM

From reading elsewhere on energy issues, I suspect the A&P license could include some big changes; testing for biofuel powerplants is presently ongoing, so that may be an attraction - or not - for you.

08-19-2011, 01:30 PM	#1
Cepheid Member [06%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 268	Cr0n0s wants to know what its like. Heres the general rundown. Crew Chief is the 2a3X3 AFSC. It is under the maintenance section of your ASVAB (you will need a score of at least 56 on that section). 2 months of basic training, 5 months of tech school where you learn basic airframe stuff. Then its off to your first base. You spend your first year there doing OJT and Career Development Courses (CDC's), until you earn your 5 level. That will take you until you make Staff (E-5), when you become a 7 level. Tech school (AKA Cold Training) is fairly easy if you are naturally inclined towards school. The hold your hands through the sections. The first two blocks are the "Commons" class. They cover the general principles of flight, tools, running AGE (Aerospace ground equipment). The next 6 block are airframe specific. Each section covers a specific part of the aircraft. Block 4 is Hydraulics and the various components. Block 8 is your Inspection block. Shows you how to properly inspect the jets. Each block is ended by a test. After you graduate, you go to your Hot Training. F-16 Hot Training is at Luke AFB, Arizona. F-15s are in Tyndal AFB, Florida (I think). You spend a month learning basic launch and recovery procedures, as well as basic servicing. It is mainly intended so you can go straight onto the line and start work as soon as you arrive at your new base. Once you get to your base, most people just do standard launch and recovery for the first few months. Jets go up, jets come down. Refueling, Inspections and such. Fairly tame. Day shift stuff. Once you have proved that you know most of the stuff involved, you can move to Swing Shift (Usually, more often than not, the heavy maintenance shift). This is where the meat and potatos of the crew chief world is. The breakdown of the work sections in your unit is generally as follows. Specialists (Specs): Avionics, Electrical and Environmental, Engines. Pretty straight forward, if its got wires or circuits, it falls on these guys. The motor is mostly self contained, so anything that directly effects it is handled by the Engine troops. Pretty much anything mechanical or hydraulic is left to the crew chief. As well as any servicing or standard maintenance (Tires, Brakes, oil, pneumatic servicing.)
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08-19-2011, 01:41 PM	#2
Kozality Banned MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 67	Nice writeup. Maybe expand on it a bit, and send it in to AoM's To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. =D
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08-19-2011, 02:57 PM	#5
Cepheid Member [06%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 268	I can definitely say I wouldnt want to be a pilot. It would be awesome to fly planes, but the rest... I have about 3 years left till my enlistments up. Im going to put in for re-training next july. If I get it, its another enlistment. If I dont... I dont know yet. Looking into To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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08-19-2011, 06:50 PM	#7
Phenom Member [11%] MBTI: INTx Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 472	You ever try to go officer route via an enlisted commissioning program?
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08-20-2011, 06:56 AM	#9
RBM Core Member [166%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 6,673	From reading elsewhere on energy issues, I suspect the A&P license could include some big changes; testing for biofuel powerplants is presently ongoing, so that may be an attraction - or not - for you.
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