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Airmen of steel

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Maldonado
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Dragging a hefty piece of aluminum to his work bench, an Airman kick starts his day of molding the elements. Donning his protective face mask, he prepares for flying metal shavings and scorching conditions.

Airmen assigned to the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron metals technology laboratory are tasked with ensuring broken gear and tool parts such as bolts and gears are repaired or replaced, and are ready for reinstallation into numerous pieces of equipment around base.

These Airmen work around the clock through split-shifts, always ready to repair whatever comes into their shop.

“Not only do we service and support the flightline, but we also service other agencies around the base,” said Tech. Sgt. Adam Gant, 20th EMS aircraft metals technology NCO in charge. “We support various units such as the 20th Communications Squadron and the 20th Medical Group.”

With various units around the installation needing support for their equipment, this flight continues to make an impact to the assets on base, saving the Air Force money and helping Team Shaw accomplish its mission.

Upon receiving a piece of equipment from another unit, 20th EMS aircraft metals technology Airmen begin their process by troubleshooting the type of care requested for the part. Whether it be repairing the part by sanding excess rust or recreating the part from a solid block of metal, these Airmen are masters of their craft.

Troubleshooting sometimes entails making numerous measurements to ensure accuracy and reliability of the piece along with increased durability.

There are over 140 measurements that need to be made on these items before they are deemed serviceable, said Gant.

Airmen from the 20th EMS aircraft metals technology flight work with a number of metal-transforming machines that recreate broken pieces from a solid piece of metal, as well as welding tools used to join together two or more pieces of metal.

On average the shop repairs over 1500 pieces of equipment annually, said Gant.

“We usually come in at about 6:15 a.m. and leave at 3 p.m.,” said Senior Airman Dhaimiah Williams, 20th EMS metals technology technician. “At the end of the day we do turnovers and cleanup for the next shift that works late night.”

As pieces of equipment funnel in from various squadrons, Airmen assigned to the 20th EMS metals technology lab keep their eyes on the prize and focus on the task at hand.

“If our Airmen can’t fix it nobody can,” said Gant.

With their wide skillset in metal transformation and welding tools, the Airmen assigned to the 20th EMS metals technology laboratory are ready to tackle anything thrown their way, helping make the sparks fly at Shaw.