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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maxwell Higgins, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) – A Rancho Cucamonga, California, Sailor was serving as an aviation maintenance technician aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) on Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, May 24.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Julia Carrasco reported to the “Knighthawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136’s airframes division in August 2018 as an Aviation Structural Mechanic.
Aircraft carrier flight operations would not be possible without the aircraft maintainers that work around the clock to make sure the aircraft are mission ready.
“My job means not only maintaining the aircraft itself but the pilot’s and crew’s life,” said Carrasco.
A maintainer must be properly qualified due to the complexity and safety-of-flight related equipment they work on. Each maintainer undergoes specific technical training that pertains to their assigned rating before they are allowed to start working on aircraft or equipment.
“I maintain all hydraulic and structural components of F/A-18s, including the landing gear, tires and tale hooks,” said Carrasco.
Within the Navy, maintainers can work in a variety of different places and with a wide range of people.
“Seeing how we as team are constantly improving and getting better is really amazing,” said Carrasco. I really enjoy swapping out tires. For the most part, it’s like changing a tire on a car. A car that that flies through air at hundreds of miles per hour.”
The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) remains at sea in the Atlantic as a certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking in order to protect the crew from the risks posed by COVID-19, following their successful deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. Keeping HSTCSG at sea in U.S. 2nd Fleet, in the sustainment phase of OFRP, allows the ship to maintain a high level of readiness during the global COVID-19 pandemic
For more news from Truman, visit www.navy.mil/local.cvn75/, www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.
