Team Dover's AFE technician named AF's best

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Word is getting around about Team Dover's Aircrew Flight Equipment team. Air Mobility Command took notice in 2011, naming the shop their 2011 AFE Large Program of the Year. The international community took notice when Team Dover's AFE shop was hand-selected to train their equivalents in the Polish air force. Now, the Air Force must take notice.

Dave Compton, an AFE technician with the 436th Operations Support Squadron, was named the Air Force's 2011 Outstanding Aircrew Flight Equipment Civilian Category II of the Year last week, due in part to his reputation as one of the most experienced back-style parachute technicians in AMC.

One has to have an innate sense of responsibility in this job because their products can be the difference between life and death for aircrews during an emergency, said Compton. I hope that aircrews never need to use my products, but if they do, their equipment is going to work as intended.

Compton has a track record of producing quality products. Throughout more than 30 years of experience as an active-duty Air Force member with the 436th Maintenance Squadron, his work was directly responsible for protecting hundreds of lives and saving millions of dollars.

I have handed a parachute to a man who boarded a helicopter, ascended 15,000 feet, and then jumped out. The successful deployment of his parachute saved his life, said Compton. Another time, an aircrew had to don their oxygen masks mid-flight while leaving . A malfunction could have cost a crew and an aircraft.

Compton's innovations extend beyond work with parachutes. When 46-man life rafts were delivered to Team Dover, Compton took the lead in researching and familiarizing with the new items, and scheduled their installation in concurrence with preexisting maintenance appointments to eliminate superfluous down-time.

Word of AFE's superior performance spread throughout Team Dover's flying squadrons. With competent support from shops like AFE, Compton said aircrews feel more confident during their missions.

When shops that support the mission are doing well, it's like a ripple effect; everyone feels safer and more confident when completing their mission, said Compton. That's the big picture of what our team does.

Though AFE members have much to boast about, Compton asserts that the recognition earned by the shop, including his own, is shared by each member.

[The award given to me] is not an individual award; it belongs to this team of motivated Airmen, said Compton. I feel blessed to work with this group of dedicated professionals.