Heavy Metal: Aircraft Structural Maintenance

Published Dec. 10, 2015
By Senior Airman Stephanie Serrana & Senior Airman Harry Brexel
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Shelby Jensen, 19th Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology journeyman, performs tungsten inert gas welding, Nov. 19, 2015, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Jensen creates and maintains equipment throughout Little Rock Air Force Base as part of her primary duties. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephanie Serrano)

A U.S. Air Force aircraft structural maintenance journeyman, unscrews a piece which holds the right-hand forward main landing gear strut of a C-130J Nov. 19, 2015, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Airmen from the 19th Maintenance Squadron work 24-hours a day, 7 days a week on the world's largest fleet of C-130s. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Harry Brexel)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Dustin Blakney, 19th Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology journeyman, mills a piece of wood using a computer numeric control machine Nov. 19, 2015, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Aircraft metals technology Airmen measure broken or worn parts, perform precision grinding to remove corrosive deposits and often create things from scratch by drawing working sketches, making templates and machining parts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Harry Brexel)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class William Hamal, 19th Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance journeyman, replaces the right-hand forward main landing gear strut on a C-130J, Nov. 19, 2015, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. 19th MXS aircraft structural maintenance personnel restore and maintain the structural integrity of aircraft at Little Rock Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephanie Serrano)