Crew chiefs dedicate careers to their aircraft Published Feb. 3, 2009 By Greg Allen 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Dedicated is an adjective most of us would use on our résumés, but for eight Air Commandos the word 'dedicated' is part of their job title. They are the Dedicated Crew Chiefs, responsible for "their" MC-130W Combat Spear, from the moment it touches the ground, to the second it lifts off on a mission. They oversee every aspect of their aircraft, from its general appearance to every nut and bolt it takes to keep it airworthy. Chief Master Sgt. Jackie Powell, 27th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Squadron superintendent, Master Sgt. Jeff Hardy, 27 SOAMXS crew chief section chief and Tech Sgt John Bondanza, 27 SOAMXS crew chief section assistant chief, were responsible for putting together the 27 SOMXG DCC program at Cannon. "We officially started the program back in Oct. of 2008," said Sergeant Bondanza, however, [the operating instruction] was not published until Jan. 1, 2009." The program was implemented for a couple reasons according to Sergeant Bondanza. First, it permits the aircraft to receive all required scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, which in turn promotes the health of the fleet, resulting in mission-ready aircraft. Second, it allows for DCCs to demonstrate a sense of pride and ownership of their assigned aircraft. When Staff Sgt. Chris Morrelli leaves for work in the morning, he said his wife sometimes jokes with him about going to see his girlfriend at work. In this instance, Sergeant Morrelli's "girlfriend" tips the scale at more than 150,000 pounds and moves across the skies at 300 mph. The 27 SOAMXS Airman is one of the eight DCCs at Cannon, who are so involved with "their" MC-130W aircraft that it could be considered a girlfriend of sorts. The sergeant has been a DCC for four years now and said he was the first crew chief at Hurlburt Field, Fla., to raise his hand to come to Cannon and be a part of the 27th Special Operations Wing standup. "We are responsible for the aircraft from the second it lands," said the sergeant who is from Riverside, Calif. "I'm proud to be part of a team that will set the benchmark for others." "We coordinate all the maintenance that must be done," said Sergeant Morrelli, "We make sure it's ready to go." Staff Sgt. Nolan Garrett is one of the newest Airmen to hang the word "dedicated" on his duty title. He just recently moved up after working as an assistant to another DCC. He said it's not something anybody can just say they want to do and do it, but rather, that it's an involved training process. "You have to be at your seven-level of training, go through several [on-the-job-training] cycles and of course, field training," said Sergeant Garrett. "Then you put in your paperwork, requesting to become a DCC. If you get "boarded," they consider your overall appearance, your leadership abilities, and of course, your airframe knowledge." The Airmen are so tied into with their aircraft, they oftendeploy with the plane to the same place at the same time. Both Sergeants Garret and Morrelli have deployed to places such as Afghanistan, Kuwait and Uzbekistan. Both have been Air Commandos their entire career and have worked on other MC-130Ws before their move here. They both agree that they take great pride in their aircraft. "There's something different everyday," said Sergeant Garrett. "We have to keep our planes ready."