The Cougars of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 have pushed through the halfway mark of combat operations during their 2009 SURGE. Since early July, after checking in with 5th Fleet, the squadron has continually provided electronic attack support for troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

It is up to the young maintainers, average age early 20s, to fix and prepare aircraft for mission readiness.

With limited supplies available aboard the ship and delays in part shipments, there are countless factors working against the Sailors. Under the leadership of Senior Chief Electrician’s Mate Mark Wanless and Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Justen Estes, the Airframes Division continue to revive aircraft through the completion of three major phase inspections.

They remove panels and take the jet down to its bones, lubricate, remove corrosion, replace worn parts that cannot bear the weight of strenuous flight, and then put it back together again. Their workdays are not limited to a typical “9-5” of the civilian world. Instead, they are lucky to experience a less than 14-hour work shift when everything is working properly. When parts fail and jets return in a “down” status 12-hour shifts can quickly turn into 15 or longer.

Walking through the work centers one might expect to hear expressions of exhaustion and confessions of frustration as a result of such grueling work days. These Cougar maintainers however, keep their heads held high and press on. They know how important it is to ensure fully mission capable aircraft is each day.

“They never cease to amaze me. No matter what comes their way they refuse to give up,” said Master Chief Avionics Technician David Blashil. They get the job done every time.” It is because of this drive that VAQ-139 has succeeded in accomplishing an astounding overall sortie completion rate exceeding 96 percent and has never had to cancel a combat mission, ensuring that the job always gets done and the troops on the ground get the Electronic Attack support they need.