MRA trains world's best F-16 crew chiefs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Margaret Sitthideth
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  It's a well known fact that Luke, the largest F-16 base in the world, graduates about 400 pilots a year. What is not so well known is that Luke also trains all F-16 crew chiefs in the Air Force. 

More than 450 students graduated the MRA program here in 2007. F-16 crew chief's attended the Fighter Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice Course, called the mission ready airman program. The class is 20 academic days, with 18 of those days consisting of mostly flightline experience. 

Before entering the MRA program at Luke the students train for six months at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. 

During their training at Sheppard the students participate in cold training; working on aircraft that are non-operational and designated for training purposes. During their four-week MRA program at Luke, students train on operational aircraft for the first time, which is called hot training. 

"I enjoy the hands-on training the most," said Airman 1st Class Alex Robinson, MRA student. "During training at Sheppard we got to only look at the jets, but here we get to launch them, and it's a pretty good feeling." 

On the flightline MRA students launch and recover F-16s. They ensure there are no problems with the aircraft before the pilot taxies out and conduct recovery procedures with the pilot when the aircraft lands and before it is shut down. 

MRA students are still considered pipeline technical school students until they graduate from the course. Upon graduation they are awarded their three-skill level. 

"I enjoy seeing the end result of students who come to Luke with a basic knowledge of aircraft and leave with the fundamentals to do the job of a crew-chief," said Tech. Sgt. Todd Ross, MRA instructor. 

After completing their training ten percent of the MRA students get stationed at Luke, while the rest are assigned to other bases across the Air Force. 

"I am looking forward to running into one of my former MRA students someday at other bases," said Master Sgt. Francis Emmerling, MRA NCO in charge. "There is a lot of satisfaction knowing that what we do here at Luke impacts missions all over the Air Force."