AFE: The last to let you down

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Darnell T. Cannady
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  There are a lot of safety measures in place that protect our lives in worst case scenarios. There are seatbelts in cars that help protect in case of a car accident, fire extinguishers in case there is a fire, or safety harnesses for those who work at great heights. For the members of the 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment shop, protecting another's life is their daily mission.

The AFE shop is responsible for maintaining all the equipment that keeps the pilots alive in case of ejection from an aircraft. Their mission is to provide reliable state-of-the art aircrew flight equipment and parachute systems for Wolf Pack Warriors.

"We pack the seat kits for ejection seats and the parachutes for the seats as well," said Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Anlauf, AFE NCOIC. "We also support the pilots themselves with their apparel. "

The AFE shop maintains the pilot's anti-exposure suits which keep them warm if they land in frigid waters, the g-suits, which protect a pilot against the g-forces encountered in flight and the harnesses that strap to the parachute that straps into the ejection seat.

"We work on those components as well as life preservers," said Sergeant Anlauf.

Along with maintaining Wolf Pack pilot's flight apparel, the AFE shop has three other sections with their own set of duties and responsibilities.

The parachute section is responsible for maintaining and inspecting four types of parachutes, the ACESII recovery, ACESII drogue, F-4 drag, and F-5 drag. The drag parachutes are for transient ROKAF aircraft and the two ACESII parachutes are ejection seat components.

"The most common problems we encounter with parachutes are they expire, or have snags and tears, or any type of corrosion or deterioration of the materials itself," said Senior Airman Michael Jackson, AFE journeyman.

"Other problems include the stitches on the lines can pop and actually come apart, the connector links can corrode and separate from the rivets," said Senior Airman Michael Jackson. "All these things we actually repair and replace."

The sewing section is another major part of the AFE shop.

The sewing section gives AFE the capability to tailor flight gear for aviators to ensure a proper fit and function. Each new piece of equipment has to undergo modifications for the particular requirements of its use. They also extend the service life of flight equipment and aircraft components by repairing and replacing fabric items.

"I repair and inspect the g suit, anti-exposure suit, survival vests, and the parachute harness," said Airman Jackson. "The repairs can vary from simple seam repairs to complete build ups."


The floatation section mission gives the pilot the ability to survive in any environment in which they land in. The floatation section works on packing the seat kits for the F-16 Fighting Falcon and also works on the components that go into the seat kits. The section is responsible for life preservers and survival items for the pilots.

"The floatation section is responsible for the inspection, repair, and repack of life-preservers, one-man life rafts, and the ACESII survival kit," said Sergeant Anlauf.

Members of the AFE shop don't have the luxury to be complacent. They are responsible for saving a life.

"Time, patience and dimensions are the most important things to keep in mind when doing this job," said Staff Sgt. Cortney Tanner. "You need good time management so you can do the task in an expedient manner, while allotting yourself enough of a time gap/window for attention to detail with the components inspections and ensuring proper attachment and closure of all of your parts."

Pilots throughout the Wolf Pack can sleep well at night knowing that the AFE shop is that safety measure in the worst case scenario ... they are the last ones to let the pilots down.