All in a day’s work: Riggers provide gift of life support – in a wrapped package

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kenny Holston
  • 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Saving lives by providing emergency life support equipment may seem like a big job, but that is exactly what the 86th Operation Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment riggers do - every day.

Riggers with the 86th OSS work to ensure aircraft at Ramstein Air Base are equipped with sufficient emergency contingency equipment before each aviation mission.

"Our job is complex - there is a lot to take in," said Airman 1st Class Steffi Powers, an 86th OSS rigger. "There are several steps we have to remember as we're inspecting and packing each chute or raft.

"I really enjoy what I do because I get to work with several different types of life saving equipment. I feel my job really contributes to the overall flying mission," she said.

Riggers inspect, repair and repack many types of equipment; including parachutes, aircrew and passenger life preservers, as well as one-man, nine-man and twenty-man life rafts.

"The 86th OSS riggers provide us with these parachutes and life rafts to use in the event of an extreme emergency," said Maj. James Schartz, C-130 pilot and chief of 86th Operations Group Stand Evaluations. "Parachutes are not part of our issued equipment, so there are a minimum of eight on each C-130 that leaves the ground. We must have at least one parachute per crew member - if we have a larger crew onboard, then we call over and get them to bring us more gear."

The parachutes are inspected by a parachute packing inspector to guarantee nothing is out of place or missing. To make sure everything is functional, there are two checks performed throughout the process to monitor the work being done. Once fully packed, one last check is done to ensure the parachute is ready to be used.

Recently, the riggers combined Air Force Specialty Codes with the life support and survival career field. The shop, formerly known as the survival equipment shop, was part of the 86th Air Maintenance Squadron. Due to an Air Force mandated career-field merger with aircrew life support, the career field is now known as "aircrew flight equipment" and belongs to the 86th Operations Support Group.

"I feel the merge has been a success," said Master Sgt. Christopher Culley, 86th OSS NCOIC of aircrew flight equipment. "With the two AFSCs combined, we have been able to save money and cut down on man hours. The career-field merge has streamlined this process and made our final product more effective and efficient. Our number one priority is rigging safety equipment to save lives in the event of an in-flight emergency."