MARINE COPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Many sections aboard the air station keep jets up and running and mission oriented, but one shop is responsible for something much more important than keeping those aircraft in the air. They are responsible for the lives of the pilots that fly them.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12's Aviation Life Support section prepares all of the life support equipment a pilot would need in case he has to eject due to an aircraft malfunction.
Staff Sgt. Francisco Hennings, division chief, said they are here to support the different units aboard the station to make sure pilots and crew members have the proper survival equipment in case they need to evade a hazardous situation.
Some of the life support equipment includes parachutes, oxygen systems, life preservers and several different survival items kept inside seat pans in case of a condition in which the pilot could not survive on their own.
"We basically go through all the gear that they use," said Lance Cpl. Shedarah Teamer IV, the production control chief. "We make sure all of it is good, usable and works properly and that all of the survival gear is up to date."
Aviation Life Support services EA-6B Prowlers, AV8B Harriers, and F/A-18 Hornets, not only for MALS-12 but also for any of the Unit Deployment Program squadrons that deploy to the air station.
"We've got squadrons coming in and out all the time," said Teamer. "Every six or three months we'll get a new one and they're always wanting the gear, because they are always flying. All of that gear has to be up to date and if it's not, even if it's bad by one day it could cause a malfunction."
Flight equipment technicians have absolutely no room for error in any aspect of their duties.
"We can't fail at our job," said Sgt. Cristian Orozco, flight equipment technician. "You have air framers and power planters, and they might make some mistakes here and there, but we can't afford to make those mistakes because it can cost someone their life."
Their job may be very tedious and technical but it also hits home to every flight equipment technician.
"I've already had two pilots go down with my gear, and just hearing that they ejected was completely nerve racking," said Orozco. "Thankfully, I've done everything right, and they've come back and thanked me with tears in their eyes, because they've put all they're trust in our hands. We just cannot afford to make a mistake, period."
Teamer said that being able to keep a mother or a father alive so they can get back to their family is one of the greatest feelings he has experienced.
"That in general is what keeps most of us going," he said.
Many people may think their job is simple: preparing life preservers, assembling survival equipment and packing parachutes. Easy, right? But when it comes down to it, those small things save lives when everything else has failed.
“We’re the last to let you down,” said Teamer. “We’re the last line of defense for pilots. If we fail, that means a pilot is going to die.”
Aviation Life Support ultimately serves as the link between the pilot in the aircraft and his survival and recovery.