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U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Bradley Partridge has accumulated 1,200 flight hours in 19 months as a crew chief for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Partridge is also the crew chief evaluator for the squadron. He trains Marines ranging from lance corporal to master gunnery sergeant on the Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization publication. U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Martin R. Harris
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Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan — Soaring through the clouds at nearly 25,000 feet off the ground and traveling more than 400 mph can give life a different look. Something different is exactly what one Marine stationed with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, wanted when he signed his enlistment papers.
Cpl. Bradley Partridge has accumulated 1,200 flight hours in the past 19 months as a crew chief and crew chief evaluator for the UC-12F and UC-35 passenger aircraft. As an instructor, he trains enlisted personnel, who are usually of much higher ranks, on how to carry out their duties as crew chiefs.
“I was a little timid about instructing at first,” Partridge recalled. “As a lance corporal, I was being asked to instruct mostly (noncommissioned officers) and (staff-noncommissioned officers). I always tried to be respectful. Maturity is a big part of teaching and learning.”
Growing up in Bloomington, Minn., Partridge stepped out of the crowd and joined the Marine Corps on April 22, 2002. His decision to make a change in his life and defend his country came after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center.
After recruit training and military occupation specialty school, Partridge arrived in Okinawa as an administrative clerk. Little did Partridge know that the Marine Corps would soon give him responsibility of maintaining a $7 million aircraft.
Partridge was selected by the squadron to attend a crew chief school in Pensacola, Fla., to learn the UC-12 aircraft. He returned to Okinawa and began honing his knowledge of the aircraft. After returning, Partridge showed such proficiency and high level of maturity as a crew chief he was recommended to be a crew chief evaluator for the UC-12 and UC-35.
“Cpl. Partridge was selected for the position of crew chief evaluator because of his extremely high level of maturity,” said Lt. Col. David Ashby, commanding officer. “He has trained nearly half of the 13 crew chiefs we have, and has taken it upon himself to learn the (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization) publication, which he uses as a training syllabus.”
A crew chief is entrusted with the responsibility of making sure the aircraft is running correctly and all the passengers are safe, Partridge explained.
“Passenger safety is our number one concern,” Partridge said. “That's our bread and butter.”
According to Staff Sgt. Chad McCammon, quality assurance chief, aircraft recovery section, Partridge is easy to learn from because of his attitude and his in-depth knowledge of the aircrafts.
“Partridge knows the aircraft's systems inside and out and he really loves what he does,” said McCammon, who was trained by Partridge. “There is nothing on the aircraft that you could ask him about that he wouldn't be able to tell you exactly what it is and how it works, without even touching a book.”
© 2005 Defend America. All opinions
expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect
those of Military.com.
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