News>Feature - Man and Machine: Airman shares 30-years of service with first KC-10
Photos
Then Technical Sgt. Bill Gross stands on the flightline Dec. 7, 1991, at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Sergeant Gross was in Hawaii to help commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sergeant Gross was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. As the KC-10 celebrates its 30th year of Air Force service on March 17, 2011, Sergeant Gross can claim that he has been there every step of the way. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Senior Master Sgt. Bill Gross stands on the flightline March 8, 2011, at Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Sergeant Gross was a long-time crew chief assigned to the Air Force's first KC-10 and has been stationed with the aircraft for nearly his entire career. As the KC-10 celebrates its 30th year of Air Force service on March 17, 2011, Sergeant Gross can claim that he has been there every step of the way. (U.S. Air Force photo)
by Tech. Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
514th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
3/9/2011 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. (AFNS) -- Aircraft 79-0434, the first KC-10 Extender delivered to the Air Force, landed at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., March 17, 1981. At the same time, four hundred miles away, a young trainee enduring the rigors of basic training was unaware that his career -- and his life -- would be so deeply tied to that aircraft.
The KC-10 is closing in on its 30th year of providing air refueling and airlift for U.S. military operations across the globe. Few Airmen serving today are as connected to the KC-10's history as Senior Master Sgt. Bill Gross, a crew chief with the 714th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here. His career has practically marched in lockstep with the aircraft known by the last three digits of its tail number: 434.
"This is a tanker that has served in just about every major military operation in the last 20 years," he said. "I am proud to have been the crew chief on such a historical and tenured war-fighting machine."
The early years
Before working on 434, Sergeant Gross served as an active-duty crew chief on a B-52 Stratofortress. Upon completing his initial enlistment, he left the Air Force and returned to his hometown in the suburbs of Chicago. However, he soon realized that his hometown had stayed the same, while he had changed.
"After being responsible for a multi-million dollar aircraft, going back to a childhood job seemed like a dead end," he said.
Knowing that aircraft maintenance was one of his personal strengths, Sergeant Gross searched for aviation-related career opportunities. He eventually learned that full-time KC-10 crew chiefs were needed in an Air Force Reserve unit at Barksdale AFB. He got the job and unpacked his Air Force uniforms for the first time in more than a year.
The unit was bringing in a lot of new aircraft maintenance personnel, and Sergeant Gross said he hadn't really considered which aircraft he'd be assigned to.
North Louisiana
Sergeant Gross said his time as an Air Reserve technician at Barksdale AFB was special, both personally and professionally. Not only did he raise his two children there, but he also made many strong relationships with his fellow Airmen.
Time and distance has made it difficult to maintain many of those relationships, but keeping in touch with one of his Barksdale buddies is no problem for Sergeant Gross -- he just turns to his left. Chief Master Sgt. Todd Harris shares an office with Sergeant Gross. The chief said he clearly recalls his office mate's work ethic and dedication when he was a young noncommissioned officer.
"He took it to another level," Chief Harris said. "If you were going to be working on his aircraft, you had better keep it clean and do proper maintenance, or believe me, you would hear about it."
That level of dedication almost killed Sergeant Gross.
While working on 434 one day, he was informed of a storm that was quickly approaching Barksdale AFB. He had been involved in heavy maintenance and the tanker was opened up, exposing some of its critical components. He couldn't let 434 face the storm in its current state. Sergeant Gross said he rushed to prepare the jet, but took just a little too long.
"This big boom happened, and the next thing I knew, I was in the back of a maintenance truck being taken to the emergency room," he recalled.
The lightening had struck the aircraft and surged through the crew chief, knocking him off his feet.
"Everyone always says that 434 and I are bonded for life because we got struck by lightning together," he said, but clarified the remark by saying, "It's not an experience I'd want to relive."
Going to war
Sergeant Gross recounted that just as he was reaching his prime as a hands-on crew chief in the late '80s, the KC-10 was reaching its prime as an operational asset for U.S. military operations.
Their timing couldn't have been much better, because tensions were escalating in the Persian Gulf. The Airman and the aircraft were given an opportunity to prove their capabilities in combat operations.
While many of the accolades for the initial stages of Operation Desert Shield go to F-15 fighter jets, Sergeant Gross said that the fighters, with their limited fuel capacity, could not have been in the fight without the support of their tankers.
"How do you think they got there?" he asked.
Not quite the Jersey Shore, but close
After Iraq's military had been subdued during Operation Desert Storm, the KC-10s continued to rotate in and out of the Southwest Asia in support of operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. However, things were changing back home. The balance of the stateside fleet was leaving Barksdale AFB for Travis AFB, Calif., and McGuire AFB, N.J.
The reorganization had a significant impact on the Barksdale Airmen, many of whom were lifelong Louisiana residents. The Airmen were given a choice to follow the KC-10s to their new bases or to remain to work on the B-52s, which were moving to Barksdale.
"We didn't really want to leave," Sergeant Gross said.
If he stayed at Barksdale, Sergeant Gross would be valuable due to his experience as former B-52 crew chief. But he had two important reasons to move to the Garden State. Since so many of his fellow unit members decided to remain at Barksdale, a move to McGuire AFB would open many promotion opportunities with much less experienced competition. Sergeant Gross had also grown attached to his airplane and wasn't ready to bid it farewell.
"It would have been hard," he said.
On October 1, 1994, aircraft 434 was the first KC-10 to be transferred to McGuire AFB. Sergeant Gross was part of the crew that flew the tanker to its new home that day.
Aircraft 434 wasn't the first in everything it did. Sergeant Gross said that in one particular case, 434 was last. Air Mobility Command officials decided the KC-10's white-top paint scheme would be abandoned in favor of an all-grey scheme. Sergeant Gross thought 434 was fine as it was, and he didn't really support the change.
He said he kept finding good excuses to keep the tanker out of the paint barn, and the strategy worked for a little while. However, he knew it was only a matter of time before the painters caught up with him.
"I told them that they might paint it grey," he said. "But it would have a big, white 'X' on top where I would lay while trying to stop them."
They ended up painting it while he was on leave, he said.
Still fighting
The KC-10 and its maintenance and operations personnel continued to support ongoing operations in the Southwest Asia throughout the '90s, and just as the millennium was about to come to a close, Eastern Europe erupted in violence. Sergeant Gross and 434 were called upon to serve their country overseas once again in support of Operation Allied Force. During the operation, 434 was able to demonstrate its versatility. Not only did the aircraft provide aerial refueling on several missions, but it also shuttled refugees from harm's way in Kosovo to safety in the U.S.
As the new millennium arrived, the KC-10's services were still in high demand. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the crew chief and his tanker deployed in support of multiple operations throughout the Southwest Asia.
Prying the wrench from his white-knuckled grip
Though Sergeant Gross and 434 had been brothers-in-arms for many years, job promotions would eventually take him away from his role as the tanker's primary caretaker.
He became a production superintendent, meaning he was the shift leader who cruised the flightline in a pickup truck while coordinating the all the squadron's on-aircraft maintenance activities. His duties as a pro super kept him close to the aircraft and to the Airmen who replaced him, but he missed doing the job himself.
"My co-workers always tell me it's time to move on," he said. "But I'm a wrench turner at heart."
Sergeant Gross said that it took some effort to not give special attention to 434 and to focus on the maintenance status of all the KC-10s equally. Occasionally, he'd even jump out of his truck for a few minutes to lend a hand and a word of advice to the Airmen who were working on his jet.
"He tries very hard to share his knowledge and experiences with the young Airmen and pass on his pride of the KC-10," Chief Harris said. "When he hears maintainers referring to 434 on the radio, he often chimes in with a sometimes-unconventional suggestion that reflects one of the aircraft's quirks."
The next promotion would take Sergeant Gross away from 434 and the flightline altogether and into his current position as a desk-bound flight chief. Initially, the new job was tough because he no longer works on aircraft -- he works on Airmen. He didn't start to feel comfortable in the flight chief position until he was advised to think of personnel and administrative issues like aircraft maintenance issues.
Sergeant Gross has since warmed to his position as flight chief, but Chief Harris knows that his old friend would trade in his keyboard for a wrench in a heartbeat.
"To this day, 434 is the number-one thing on his mind," the Chief said. "When anyone mentions 434, his ears perk up."
Sergeant Gross doesn't deny the Chief's description.
"I still have a personal dedication to the aircraft," Sergeant Gross said.
Retirement on the horizon
Aircraft 434, like most KC-10s, is projected to serve through 2043. Sergeant Gross, however, has just a few years of service left before reaching his mandatory retirement date.
"There will never be another KC-10 crew chief who takes more pride in his aircraft than Sergeant Gross," Chief Harris said. "It will be a sad day for the Air Force and the KC-10 when he finally hangs up his uniform for the last time."
Sergeant Gross acknowledges his connection to 434, but insists that many other Airmen have helped keep the tanker in a mission-ready state through its thirty years of service.
"That aircraft has a lot of history," he said. "A lot of people have worked on it and bled on it."
Though the next generation of Airmen will continue to work and bleed on 434, none will be able to claim a career that was so deeply linked to one airplane like Sergeant Gross.
"One day, I hope to take my grandchildren to a museum or a base where they will eventually retire 434 upon a block of concrete, dedicating it forever as the first KC-10 delivered to the Air Force," Sergeant Gross said. "And maybe, just maybe, some historian will put my name in the crew chief block, and I can say to them that I was the crew chief for that airplane."
Comments
3/30/2011 1:54:57 AM ET Great article. We would love to see you at the KC-10 Reunion this year happening in Dallas/Fort Worth October 9-11, 2011. Please contact us barksdaleboys@sbcglobal.net Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson, Texas
3/27/2011 4:41:48 PM ET Great job, Bill.
A-Flt, KWRI
3/18/2011 12:33:34 PM ET Thank you ALL for your kind words and comments!
SMSgt Bill Gross, Joint Base McGuireDixLakehurst NJ
3/16/2011 12:18:26 PM ET Old School and Proud of it...great job Bill. CMSgt retired Bove
Robert Bove, Aliquippa Pa
3/14/2011 11:17:07 AM ET I would like to thank Sgt Gross for his service and dedication. I was a member of Det 2 4200 Test and Evaluation Squadron at Barksdale. We along with our reserve associate unit were responsible for the operational testing of the KC-10. When 79-0434 arrived at Barksdale there were representatives of both the active duty and the reserves on board. People like Sgt Gross have made the KC-10 a true success story. Jack Patton CMSgt Retired
Jack Patton, Cheyenne WY
3/13/2011 12:44:42 AM ET Hoo-Rah! It was great to read this tribute to the man and machine. This article sure brought back the memories. I had the pleasure to serve with both Bill and the KC-10 Extender. I worked with Bill as the OIC for the KC-10 Branch 2 CAMS in the late 1980s at Barksdale and later as the 305 EMS Mx Supervisor in the 1990s at McGuire. Congrats, Bill, on a superb career and keep 'em flying.
Steven P. Strabel, Portage WI
3/12/2011 6:04:54 AM ET Awesome Article about one of the best Pro Supers I ever worked with. Keep up the great work, Bill, even if some aircrew member is trying to steal your thunder.
Dave Coakley, PA
3/11/2011 1:41:15 PM ET Great article about a great jet and a great crew chief.
CMSgt Jeff Sidles, Scott AFB IL
3/11/2011 1:00:18 PM ET Great story. I've had the pleasure of working with Bill many times and he is truly top notch. Good to learn a little of the history of 434 which I've flown on many times. Now all those weird electrical problems on flights make sense.
MSgt Dan Phillips, Scott AFB IL
3/10/2011 4:59:45 PM ET I was a KC-10 flight engineer with the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron at Barksdale AFB, La., and McGuire AFB, N.J., and I was a member of the aircrew that flew 434 to McGuire.
MSgt Greg Weber USAF Ret, Avondale AZ
3/10/2011 2:17:48 PM ET Great article about a wise man and his dedication for the greatest tanker the Air Force has ever owned. Now just to make it last another 30 years...lol.
