Fit to fly: Generating aircraft

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Teddy Longnecker, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit avionics technician, works on an F-16 Fighting Falcon while generating aircraft for the Operational Readiness Exercise at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 18, 2013. During this exercise, the 13th and 14th AMUs came together to help demonstrate the wing’s overall readiness by generating safe and reliable aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Kee)

Fit to fly: Generating aircraft

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Hill, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit avionics technician, puts away a Bleed Air Hose after generating aircraft during a wing Operational Readiness Exercise at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 18, 2013. During this exercise, the AMUs came together to achieve their goal of generating safe and reliable aircraft, which helped demonstrate the wing's overall readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Kee)

Fit to fly: Generating aircraft

Published March 20, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Zachary Kee
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- When it comes to the task of generating F-16 Fighting Falcons and the first line of defense, Senior Airman Teddy Longnecker, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit avionics technician, said the rules are simple, "don't fail".

Longnecker was one of thousands of Airmen here put to the challenge of participating in an Operational Readiness Exercise March 18.

The ORE evaluations assess the wing' s ability to respond to accidents, disasters, increased states of readiness and deployments in support of worldwide contingency operations. Squadrons were stressed to see how well they would react to generating aircraft and preparing personnel and cargo processing for deployment.

Maintainers on base were required to generate multiple aircraft in less than 24 hours. Longnecker said the job was like preparing jets for war and that the main function of a generation is to load live ammunition, called combat loads, to prepare a jet to head into battle.

Longnecker added that it's also an opportunity for the maintainers to show that they're on their game and assess their readiness and execution.

While overseas it may seem exercises are happening often, but what is asked of service members is ever-changing.

"There is always something new and different; and the fact that we have new Airmen coming in fresh out of training and have never done a 12-hour shift makes it a good experience," said Longnecker, who is nearing his four-year point at the job. "Exercises prepare us just in case the real thing was to happen."