Air Force Crew Chief Follows, Sets Example

Air Force Crew Chief Follows, Sets Example

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2...004081603.html.

{EXCERPT} By John D. Banusiewicz American Forces Press Service

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz., Aug. 16, 2004 * "I want everyone I meet to
know how proud I am to be part of the best air force in the world,"
said Scott V. Stout, F-15 Eagle maintenance trainer assigned to
Detachment 12, 372nd Training Squadron here.

"I like seeing the reflection of my ribbons and medals in people's
eyes. Whether it's among civilians, shaking hands with the command
chief master sergeant or meeting the newest airman on base, I want my
dedication to the Air Force to be self-evident."

At 17, Stout, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., saw joining the Air Force as a way
to acquire the professionalism he saw in his father, a coal-mine truck
driver who served as a P-3 Orion flight engineer in the Navy during
the Vietnam War.

Today, as a technical sergeant with 18 years of service and a line
number for promotion to master sergeant, Stout continues to work
toward that goal while setting his own example for others.

He said all he's had to do is look around during his career to know
how to conduct himself, and he sees those lessons affecting his
success even after the 30-year Air Force career he plans to have.

"I believe that following leaders and emulating their examples of
professionalism will carry me well into the future," he said. His
service so far, he added, has given him many of the qualities he looks
for in the people who lead him, from his front-line supervisor to the
commander in chief.

An F-15 maintenance crew chief by trade, Stout said his long
deployment for the Gulf War more than a decade ago was a sacrifice *
but not for him. "'Sacrifice' sounds as though I had given something,"
he said. "I feel that my time in that environment was a lot more
difficult on my mother and the rest of my family than it was for me.
They made the sacrifice."

Stout designs, develops, tests and accepts new F-15-specific
maintenance trainers for the Air Force. He also keeps trainers current
with constantly changing F-15 system configurations. "Managing time,
money and assets is challenging, but rewarding," he said. "My efforts
affect the Air Force on an 'end user' level. I get my real reward
every time an F-15 puts its landing gear up and then gets to put it
back down after completing a mission. That's the best thing about my
job."

Having his name on the No. 8 Thunderbirds jet as a crew chief while
assigned to the Air Force's aerial demonstration team has been the
highlight of his career so far, he said. But his experiences as a crew
chief in the Gulf War are right up there with it, he added.

"Seeing my name on the side of my 'gray' jet after it completed a real
mission in the Gulf" also was a thrill, he said. "I made that jet fly
for my pilot -- safely and correctly."

The 35-year-old noncommissioned officer and his wife, Senior Airman
Susan K. Stout, are the parents of two sons: Bret, 8, and Spencer, 19
months. Between his work and his family, life is good, he said.

"I have the perfect wife, perfect boys and am surrounded by
professionals who share the same focus on life," he said. "I have
learned that dedication to my family is well balanced with my
dedication to the Air Force. They are equally important, and equally
rewarding."

NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the
official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2...004081603.html.

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com
(310) 532-0634