Busy CAFB’s units keep pilots safe

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The Air Force is known for its pilots’ ability to keep the skies safe from America’s enemies. But who keeps the pilots safe? Aircrew Flight Equipment crews throughout the AF to ensure pilots’ gear and equipment are ready at mission time. At Columbus Air Force Base, the AFE unit is one of the busiest in the service because they are also responsible for instructor pilots and student-pilots going through Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. The AFE airmen, assigned to all of the base’s various Flying Training Squadrons (FTS), take care of 150 instructors and more than 400 students’ gear to the best of their ability, “but it’s 10 times busier than that,” said Staff Sgt. Dale Thibodeaux, the squads’ non-commissioned officer in charge. “I can’t see any other AFE units being busier than this,” he said. Each of the FTS has an AFE unit attached. All 14th Student Squadron pilots go through the 37th and 41st FTS to learn how to fly the T-6A Texan II. “Our job is to make sure when a pilot goes out the door everything is good to go,” said Senior Airman Hayden Harrison, 48th FTS AFE technician. (Source: Columbus AFB 12/12/17)