No backyard mechanics

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Everything about the B-2 Spirit screams stealth.

Its leading edges are curved to reflect radio waves. Its jet-black surface is coated with radar-absorbing material. Its four engines are buried inside the body.

Although these design characteristics are a major reason why the B-2 remains undetected, perhaps most important to its stealthiness are the maintainers behind the scenes.

Each time a Spirit lands on the Whiteman flightline, these highly trusted maintainers have only eight to 12 hours to get the $2.1 billion bomber back in the air. With millions of parts and endless possibilities for something to go wrong, it is a daunting task.

To make sure the process happens the way it should, instructors from the 372nd Training Squadron, Det. 6, take Airmen right from technical school, as well as experienced Airmen from other airframes, under their wings to teach them the ins and outs of working with the B-2.

"Training is critical; it's the way the Air Force provides security for the nation," said Master Sgt. James Boone, the detachment's production superintendent and propulsions instructor. "If we don't do it, or if we don't have the means or the money to do it, then all we have are backyard mechanics working on multibillion-dollar aircraft, and that can go south quickly."

Administratively, Det. 6 is supported by the 982nd Training Group at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, which provides them with the tools and means needed to fully support the B-2 mission.

The detachment's classes cover several detailed aspects of the bomber, including radar, avionics, propulsion, egress, fuels, pneudraulics, electro-environmental, wire repair, low observables, flight controls, aerospace ground equipment, aircraft general and weapons. The classes incorporate a balance of in-class instruction and hands-on application.

"On the flightline and in the backshop, we're always moving, always hustling to get the job done," said Airman 1st Class Jared Slaton, a B-2 propulsions specialist from the 509th Maintenance Squadron. "It's good to have training specifically on what we need to do. We also have more time to focus on what we're actually doing.

"Another thing I really enjoy about being in this class is working with other flightline guys," Slaton added. "This class helps us bond on a more personal level. We all work kind of differently, so it's not just learning the class' lessons ... it's also learning about the others and how they work and their way of doing things."

This coming together of different flightline-based Air Force specialty codes lasts anywhere from one to 32 academic days, and most classes have two to four students.
The low student-teacher ratio ensures the instructors can build a strong rapport with their students. Even with the low ratio, that can still sometimes be challenging given the needs and personalities of students in each course.

"The challenging part is being able to find the right balance of instructing different students," said Boone. "For example, the class I'm teaching now includes an airman first class who has been in for one year and a technical sergeant who has been in for 12 years, but I have to instruct them at the same time.

"I have to explain different things to the younger Airman, but he also has more experience with the engine interior, so it goes both ways," he added. "It's all about feeling out who needs what kind of attention and what kind of instruction is best for them."

Boone added that like the students, he also enjoys seeing the flightline and backshop guys interacting and sharing their knowledge. But more than anything, he likes seeing his students "get it."

"A good day for me is when that light bulb goes on," Boone said. "It feels great to see them apply what I've taught, read the technical order and then remove a piece off the engine. I can see when it clicks and all makes sense."

A typical morning at the detachment starts with a lesson on U.S. Air Force and 509th Bomb Wing history to help the students connect with their place in history, and then continues on to the day's objectives.

"Once we have all the technical orders open and we're working on the lesson, the instructor asks us questions and inspects our work like he's quality assurance," Slaton said. "It's really helpful to have that instant feedback."

In the end, all the lessons, questions and inspections culminate when the students are handed their diplomas and head back to the flightline to keep Whiteman's fleet of 20 B-2s in the air.

"There's a tragic end if we as engine mechanics don't do our job," said Boone. "People we don't want to die, die. People we want to die, don't. It's critical that we do it right."