Sunday, September 24, 2017

Eglin team goes to sea

Crew and F-35 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln.
Air Force photo
The Air Force’s 33rd Maintenance Squadron provided training and support to F-35C Lightning II operations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7, 2017. Two airmen and two sailors from the aerospace ground equipment flight and the wheel and tire shop qualified Abraham Lincoln sailors to operate F-35 support equipment, bringing the U.S. Navy one step closer to initial operations capability. With this training, the Abraham Lincoln's aviation structural mechanics are now qualified to tear down, inspect, clean, rebuild and service wheel assemblies. “We are the most qualified unit to (train these sailors),” said Staff Sgt. Mark Gower, 33rd MXS wheel and tire technician. “We have been working with this jet the longest because the 33rd Fighter Wing was the first unit to receive the F-35 from the test community.” (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 09/19/17)