OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The 25th Fighter Generation Squadron plays a crucial role in ensuring that Osan’s fleet of 24 A-10C Thunderbolt IIs’ are safe and functional for the pilots to fly, and airframe, powerplant and general, or APG, carries out a large part of this role.
The 25th FGS is separated into a variety of specialties that each focus on a unique aspect of the APG, weapons and specialist sections.
“APG’s mission is to maximize maintenance effort and effectively produce fully mission-capable aircraft to support the flying schedule, while prioritizing the safety of the pilot and the aircraft,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Christopher Freund, 25th FGS APG section chief. “APG troops are skilled mechanics and problem solvers, because we inspect and service the aircraft with the capability of fixing a wide range of mechanical issues for the aircraft in a timely manner.”
APG technicians maintain mission-capable aircraft by carrying out duties that span from documenting completed maintenance to launching and recovering the aircraft, all done with a level of consistency that provides a standard of safety for the aircraft.
“As a dedicated crew chief, we ensure the maintenance we do meets operational standards and all of the corresponding paperwork is filled out properly for the aircraft in the squadron,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mitch Yuncker, 25th FGS APG dedicated crew chief. “If we determine a part of the aircraft is not safe for flight, APG is responsible for fixing it or routing it to the appropriate shops to be fixed, returned, reinstalled and inspected all before that aircraft is permitted to fly again.”
Crew chiefs shoulder the responsibility of maintaining a standard of precision throughout all of their daily duties, from the foreign object debris walks at the start of the day to certifying the safety of the aircraft after the final inspection on the runway.
APG Airmen wear many hats, and the hats worn emphasize the importance of this team’s role in the sustainment of operations within the 51st Fighter Wing.