Little bit of everything Published Jan. 25, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Pre-flight and post-flight inspections are common place for a C-17 crew chief. However, crew chiefs are responsible for the overall maintenance of the aircraft they are assigned. This often includes odd-jobs such as replacing a hard-to-reach middle tire on the main landing gear of the plane. Airman 1st Class Michael Banks, C-17 crew chief with the 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was tasked to a team of maintainers to remove and replace a tire that weighs more than 300 pounds. As an apprentice in his career field, Airman Banks is expected not only to help but also learn the ins-and-outs of the tasks that he helps perform. Tasks such as the one depicted here are new and interesting for a young Airman who has a variety of tasks that he must know. Crew chiefs often team up with specialist from other career fields such as integrated flight control systems specialists and propulsion specialists to complete the mission. Airman Banks is just one of many maintainers with the 736 AMXS. These front-line maintainers are the Airmen who keep the planes flying on a day-to-day basis.