Interview with Staff Sgt. Adam Beal, 51st FW (Fighter Wing) MXS (Maintenance Squadron) Fuel Systems. It’s not every day that an aircraft needs a wing replacement. Usually something like this happens about once a year. There is a 3-stage process for changing an F-16 wing: 1. De-mating the wing from the body 2. Cleaning the 16 bolts that attach the wing 3. Re-attaching wing. This is a great opportunity for training for younger enlisted members. They usually work a 3-man, 12-hour shift around the clock to get the wing on as soon as possible. More