KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – Crew chiefs from the 154th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron spent a day showing Soldiers from the 199th Fighter Generation Squadron what it’s like to be a crew chief and gaining hands-on experience.

Airmen from the 199th FGS accompanied the crew chiefs of the F-22A Raptor and learned the various intricacies of the job.

“We saw how they perform their checks, how to properly line up an aircraft along the flightline and how to capture it after the flight,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Shikina, cyber noncommissioned officer in charge of the 199th Fighter Generation Squadron. “The event really showed us that their job is not just to get an aircraft in the air, but to make sure everything is in order to keep everyone safe.”

Crew chiefs must be knowledgeable of all aspects of their assigned aircraft in order to properly and safely perform routine maintenance, complex repairs and inspections to keep the aircraft operational and able to perform its mission after takeoff.

“In the Advanced Programs Office, we don’t get to see things like this on a regular basis, and even though we work together, we’re pretty far removed from the maintenance side of things,” said Master Sgt. Dana Ayala, U.S. Air Force 154th Squadron information systems safety officer. “But thanks to this opportunity, we were able to see what crew chiefs do, gain appreciation for all the work they do and see how our mission sets fit together to improve that cohesion.”

Crew chiefs are not only responsible for ensuring that the mission of their command is accomplished, but also for the safety of their pilots when they take to the skies in the aircraft entrusted to them.

Ayala said the event gave her pilots the opportunity to meet and interact with new people while learning how crew chiefs work. The event also helped her pilots think of new ways to improve processes involving both maintenance and the Advanced Programs Office while building team cohesion, something she hopes they can expand to their home station in Hawaii.