Crew Chief of A-10 Thunderbolt,
Young Has Busy Air Force Career

Former Bethel resident Eric Durfee sent the following account to The Herald.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of crossing paths with Senior Airman Tyler Young of Bethel. A crew chief of an A-10 Thunderbolt II, he is currently a member of the West Coast A-10 Demonstration Team.

Comprised of a pilot, a maintenance crew, ground safety observers and narrators, the team is a close knit group and the camaraderie between Young and the other team members was evident. Some of his recent travels with the team have taken him to Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Washington, North Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, and Arkansas, and, most recently, Nevada.

It was in Reno, Nev. that I caught up with Young when he and his team were putting on a demonstration at the Reno Air Races. When not traveling with the team, he is based at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz.

Young took the time to show me one of the jets they had brought up from Tucson. The A-10 is affectionately called the "Wart Hog," due to it's toughness, unique looks, maneuverability, and weaponry.

I was impressed with Young’s knowledge and training with the A-10. He absolutely knows every inch of this jet. He covers it all: inside and out, top to bottom. As soon as the A-10 landed from its show, I watched him crawl all over it, doing his inspections.

Young, who grew up in Bethel Gilead and graduated from Whitcomb High School in 2003, joined the United States Air Force that September. He discussed with enthusiasm his time in the Air Force and what some of his future options might be.

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