Forum: F-16 Procedures

Forgive my limey ignorance but I'm interested in the lads and lasses who keep the USAF F-16's flying and wanted to know a little more. For example, does each line aircraft have a dedicated 1st line crew in addition to its crew chief and if so who makes up the team (ranks/trades etc)? Also whats the difference between an AMXS, EMS and a CMS and do the mechs/techs belong to the squadron or a separate unit?

Sorry for being so vague and if you can't be bothered answering could you please point me in the right direction as the "official" sites don't tell you a whole lot!

Many thanks and all the best

Jim

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Quick bit of history:
Flightline maintainers used to work directly for the Fighter Squadron (FS), while the various backshops were aligned under the Equipment Maintenance and Component Maintenance Squadrons (EMS and CMS). On the flightline, we had Crew Chiefs, Avionics, Engines, Electrical & Environmental, and Weapons troops. EMS and CMS were where you'd find the specialized shops like Phase, Engines, Electrical & Environmental, Sheet Metal, Precision Measurement Equipment Lab, etc.

That all changed in 2003 when we went back to Aircraft Maintenance and Maintenance Squadrons (AMXS and MXS). Now flightline troops of all sorts fall under one of the Aircraft Maintenance Units (AMU) within AMXS and almost all of the backshops were realigned under MXS. Pilots weren't affected by this change at all, as they've always been in the FS and probably always will be.

It's rare to see anyone other than a Dedicated Crew Chief and his/her Assistants assigned to a jet. Don't let the DCC program confuse you: Crew Chief is the common name for a career field, while DCC/ADCC is an "earned" position. The reg states that the DCC/ADCC position is based on merit, meaning anyone who meets the criteria and demonstrates the motivation can become one. For some reason though, you don't see many Weapons or Specialists with their names on the canopy (I've only seen one in 8 years). It's a damn shame, too, since a good number of those guys/girls show the jets a lot more care than some of the DCCs/ADCCs do.

Sorry if that got a little lengthy or convoluted. Feel free to ask anything else you're curious about.

[quote="mostroscuro"]
It's rare to see anyone other than a Dedicated Crew Chief and his/her Assistants assigned to a jet. Don't let the DCC program confuse you: Crew Chief is the common name for a career field, while DCC/ADCC is an "earned" position. The reg states that the DCC/ADCC position is based on merit, meaning anyone who meets the criteria and demonstrates the motivation can become one. For some reason though, you don't see many Weapons or Specialists with their names on the canopy (I've only seen one in 8 years). It's a damn shame, too, since a good number of those guys/girls show the jets a lot more care than some of the DCCs/ADCCs do.[quote]

Actually the latest version of the reg governing the Dedicated Crew Chief program limits the position to those in the Tactical Acft/Cargo Acft/Helicopter MX AFSCs unless waivered by the MXG Commander. The only place that is the exception to this on a regular basis is the Thunderbirds who have DCC's from nearly every career field.

Good call - I apparently need to read up on 21-101 again.

Sorry for the delay in replying guys but thanks a lot for the above! best, Jim

There are still EMS and CMS backshops in the AF. I think the reg says that you assign them instead of the MXS when there are more than 800 people filling a backshop position (which definitely was the case at Nellis before we got A-76'd. ) Though we are officially changing over to the MXS because of contract maintenance very soon, and I believe we are the last unit in the AF to do so, though I may be wrong.

jimmy1419 wrote:

... does each line aircraft have a dedicated 1st line crew in addition to its crew chief...
Jim

No, A crew chief or DCC (Dedicated Crew Chief) and an Assistant Dedicated Crew Chief (ADCC) is normally assigned to an aircraft but it is just a bureaucratic thing. It does not mean anything besides that you are responsible for anything bad that happens to the aircraft, its forms and covers. You put your name on the canopy rail or nose landing gear door. It is pretty much meaningless. You do not get to work that specific aircraft and it is hard to have pride of ownership. This position of DCC is normally given to a Tactical Aircraft Craftsman or 2a373 and ADCC is given to a newer guy, 2A333 or 2A353 , no specific reason besides they have to assign some one. There also other specialties assigned to the AMU as was stated before on this thread.

jimmy1419 wrote:

... Also whats the difference between an AMXS, EMS and a CMS and do the mechs/techs belong to the squadron or a separate unit?...
Jim

What is a EMS, CMS?

Most maintainers belong to a AMU or Aircraft maintenance unit. When I started all of it was under Fighter Squadron. Now is subdivided and Fighter squadron is for pilots and their immediate support like life support.
MXG or maintenance group is subdivided between back shops (Fuel shop, structural maintenance etc) and AMXS or Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons, they in term are subdivided into AMUs

jimmy1419 wrote:

...Sorry for being so vague and if you can't be bothered answering could you please point me in the right direction as the "official" sites don't tell you a whole lot! ...

Here are some Air Force Specialty Codes;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Specialty_Code
look for them in the net and you can get more info, for example;
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob2a3x3.htm

Forum: F-16 Procedures

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