AGE Airmen build shop morale with humor

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alexandra M. Boutte
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Laughter fills a corner of the aerospace ground equipment bay as several Airmen work on a diesel generator for the B-2 Spirit bomber.
 
Staff Sgt. Cole Adams, 509th Maintenance Squadron AGE mechanic, brings amusement to the floor everyday he works.
 
Adams joined the Air Force in 2008 and the 509th has been home to him, his wife, Katelyn and their two children, Jersi and Colten.

He had fallen in the footsteps of his grandfathers and wear the uniform proudly. One grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in World War II. The other served in Vietnam in 1965 as an airborne radar technician, according to Adams.

His grandfathers had diverse careers but that did not stop Adams' decision to work with wrenches, screwdrivers and engines as his dream job in the military.

"I always knew I would be turning wrenches for a living," he said. "The benefits and people are nice, too."

He says the people make the job and keep him motivated to get the work done.

"I love my job," Adams said. "Seeing people laugh and getting the work done brightens my days, and makes me want to come to work every day."

His facial expressions and the things he says make everyone laugh, said Staff Sgt. Calvin Grosz, 509th MXS AGE mechanic and co-worker.

Enjoying making people laugh is not the only thing that people see in Adams, said Master Sgt. Brad Burt, 509th MXS AGE Team 2 NCO in-charge.

"Sergeant Adams is a great mechanic, there is no doubt about that," Burt said. "He is an innovative thinker."

With budget cuts happening Air Force-wide, finding a way to get a job done with limited resources is what Adams often does, Burt said.

Those in the AGE field are responsible for maintaining the equipment that supplies electricity, as well as hydraulic pressure and air pressure.

The team services, inspects and troubleshoots engine-driven generator sets, air conditioners, hydraulic test stands, air compressors, bomb lifts, heaters and other similar support systems.

"Without us, our planes would be nothing more than a piece of metal," Adams said.

He solved an equipment shortfall by writing an engineering technical assistance securing parts for a bomb lift, Burt said.

The engineering technical assistance is a potential cost saving opportunity achievable through source reduction, material substitution or reuse or recycling.

"Working with Adams is great," Grosz said. "He is a great mechanic and has no problem tackling the tasks at hand."

"Our job is preventative maintenance on the equipment," Adams said. "We want to make sure it doesn't break, but if it is broken, we fix it," Adams said.

This hard work and dedication to his job and co-workers has not gone unnoticed. In 2012, he won flight-level Maintenance Professional of the Quarter and was named Aircraft Maintainer of the Year for the group. His award package has been sent up to the Air Force Global Strike Command.

"It feels awesome getting the recognition for my work," Adams said. "All my hard work is being acknowledged; others are noticing."