JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — A few years ago, U.S. Air Force Flight Chief Jesse McCarley had an idea after noticing parallels between his job and equipment crews in the NFL.
"This is a very small niche career that we're in," he explained, "so we're seeing people that are not just in the military doing this job is really cool."
So thanks to him, the Commanders equipment crew and 113th wing of the D.C. National Guard visited each others respective home turfs this week and found that they have a lot in common.
"I’m sewing jerseys back at work. So, a player may like a specific thing – the fit differently, if they want it tighter, if they want it looser, they want it longer," explained Commanders Co-Manager Drew Curls.
Similarly, the Air Force crews have to outfit pilots with fitted helmets and flight suits, which is also a tedious process.
The Commanders crew also got a detailed look at fighter pilot training, including what it feels like to wear a parachute harness.
"Not hanging in the parachute, that was not my favorite part. It was very uncomfortable," said Curls.
But a favorite moment was undoubtedly getting a chance to see the jets in action.
"Coolest part of today is probably watching the F-16s," exclaimed Commanders Assistant Equipment Manager Nathaniel Koo.
This experience was especially eye-opening for Koo because his brother is a fighter pilot in Washington State.
"Those guys are basically helping my brother complete his mission wherever he is, keeping him safe now," he explained, "I kind of have this piece in my mind now of, hey, he’s being taken care of well."
This relationship is one that both sides hope to continue every year because Flight Chief McCarley says while wins on the field and successful missions are the goal, it's nice to recognize the people who helped along the way.
"It shines a light on the people that work behind the scenes to make it happen," he said.
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