DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Three Polytech High School Junior ROTC cadets toured aircraft maintenance facilities Jan. 30, 2018, here, to gain a better understanding of Team Dover’s total-force maintenance mission and the Air Force as a whole.
“We’re looking for young guys with fresh ideas to take our Air Force to new heights,” said Chief Master Sgt. Bryan Ford, 512th Maintenance Squadron superintendent. “Our young men and women are the future. Whether they choose to serve for a short while or make a career, we need them.”
Ford organized the tour that took the cadets inside a C-17 Globemaster III and C-5M Super Galaxy, and their respective maintenance hangars. They also spoke with experienced 512th Maintenance Group Airmen, many of whom were not much older than themselves.
Cadet Eric Walls said he was quite impressed by the aircraft and the maintenance facilities, but especially the opportunity to sit inside a flight deck.
“It’s amazing,” added Cadet Nicholas Murphy. “Being able to see what each Airmen does individually on the plane is very cool.”
After first touring the C-17, Ford escorted the cadets to the Isochronal Maintenance Dock. Entering the hangar, they donned American flag-colored hard hats and went on an in-depth tour through both the inside and outside of a C-5M undergoing extensive maintenance and inspections.
“The plane is so much bigger than it actually looks,” said Walls as he looked at the ground while standing on the C-5’s wings.
The cadets agreed their favorite part of the tour was standing on the C-5’s highest point, the T-tail at 68 feet above the ground, and listening to Ford speak about his work experiences during an overseas deployment.
“It’s an honor to see what our men and women do on a daily basis to serve our country,” said Murphy. “It’s definitely different seeing base activities than just hearing about them.”
Murphy said he had an aspiration to become an Air Force pilot and is considering starting as a Reserve maintainer while working on his bachelor’s degree. The other cadets said they were also considering the Air Force as a strong option upon completing high school.
Senior Master Sgt. Brian Huber, the Dover AFB Air Force Reserve Recruiting flight chief, who coordinated the tour with Ford, said it was refreshing to see the inside of a C-5 again. He worked as a loadmaster before becoming a recruiter.
“This is the type of stuff that motivates people to come into the military,” said Huber. “To actually come out and see what we do can really inspire many to join.”
The cadets said the tour opened their minds to future career opportunities with the Air Force and Air Force Reserve.