Pride of the Pack: Staff Sgt. Bobby Elzie

  • Published
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Unit: 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 80th Aircraft Maintenance Unit

Duties: Crew chief

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

Hobbies: Photography, reading and auto mechanics

Favorite music: Rap, alternative, reggae tone and mo-town

Follow on: Unknown

Last good movie you saw: The video sent by my wife and daughter for Father's Day.

Best thing you've done here: Worked with and trained some of the greatest people I've ever known.

Reason for nomination: "Sergeant Elzie's exemplary troubleshooting efforts were vital in repairing an 80th AMU F-16 that had landed with a leading edge flap flight control malfunction which drove an in-flight emergency. Sergeant Elzie's impressive maintenance abilities made him first choice to lead and train a three-person maintenance team of newly assigned Airmen to troubleshoot the flight control malfunction. His extensive maintenance actions and outstanding leadership troubleshot the malfunction to a faulty hydraulic power drive unit. The replacement of this component is one of the most complex and tasking jobs for an F-16 crew chief. His efforts culminated in 96 man-hours of training and returned the aircraft to fully mission-capable status. Sergeant Elzie's expertise directly secured the Wolf Pack's ability to secure the Korean peninsula and, if necessary, 'take the fight North.' His maintenance efforts to the 8th Fighter Wing's mission make him a perfect choice for this award." - Chief Master Sgt. Steven Ferrell, 8th AMXS chief