ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- After spending seven years active duty, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chase Brown, a non-destructive inspector with the 139th Maintenance Squadron, enlisted with the 139th Airlift Wing to be able to serve his country part time close to his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.
As a non-destructive inspector, Brown examines a variety of aircraft parts using x-rays, eddy currents, penetrant lines and ultrasound for any damage or discrepancies causing them to be unserviceable.
“We are kind of like laboratory geeks over here, and it’s a little bit different from the rest of the maintenance career fields,” Brown states.
Brown is no stranger to the fabrication career field. He previously worked in sheet metal during his active duty service in places like Germany, Bulgaria and the state of Washington.
“The reason why I joined is kind of funny,” Brown states. “Me and a couple friends got together, kind of got patriotic, talking about we gotta join the military before we get too old and I was the only one to do it. They stayed in Kansas, which isn’t a bad thing, but I got to see the world.”
Brown is attending Colorado State University online to receive a management information systems degree.
After spending a year with the 139th, Brown’s advice for anyone on the fence about joining is, “I would say just do it, you won’t regret it, especially if you’re young.”