WEBVTT

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(Clements): I’m Corporal Palmer Clements
from Belleville, Ontario.

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I'm an Air Weapons Systems Technician
currently posted to 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta.

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<i>- Air Weapons Systems Technicians, or AWS Techs,</i>

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<i>work in the hangar and on the flight line,</i>

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<i>installing, repairing and testing</i>
<i>the complex weapons systems</i>

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<i>on Canada’s fighter jets, maritime helicopters,</i>

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<i>and long-range patrol aircraft.</i>

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<i>They serve on bases across Canada,</i>

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<i>aboard ships with our maritime helicopters,</i>

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<i>and wherever our Royal Canadian Air Force</i>
<i>squadrons deploy.</i>

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(Clements): So as an Air Weapons
Systems Technician, your primary job

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is going to be maintaining the aircraft.

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Everything from the pilot that presses
the button in the cockpit

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all the way down to the weapon station,
to the weapon itself,

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all the systems, the computers,
the functionals to do with that,

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then the actual air weapons loading.

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And then if they use those weapons,
they get dropped, say, on the range

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and they don't go off, the Explosive Ordnance
Disposal side of Air Weapons Systems

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is going to come into play,
and then it is our job as a trade

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to make sure that those things are safe.

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<i>- AWS Techs posted to a fighter squadron</i>

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<i>work either on the flight line</i>
<i>or in a second-line shop.</i>

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<i> On the flight line, they do most</i>
<i>of the loading of bombs, missiles</i>

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<i>and ammunition on the aircraft,</i>
<i>as well as maintaining</i>

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<i>all of the systems on-board the aircraft</i>
<i>that have to do with armament,</i>

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<i>including the gun system</i>
<i>and the racks and launchers on the wings.</i>

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<i>In the shop, AWS Techs</i>
<i>assemble and disassemble bombs and missiles</i>

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<i>and fill the ammunition karts</i>
<i>that get delivered to the squadron.</i>

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<i>They also fill the chaff and flare pods.</i>

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(Clements): So as a first-line
Air Weapons Systems Technician,

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your day-to-day is going to be directly
dictated by the flying schedule,

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whether they want two jets, four jets, 15 jets,

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they want chaff and flare in the jets,
they want inert bombs, live bombs,

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whatever the pilots are calling for
is your day-to-day objective.

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<i>- At a long-range patrol squadron,</i>

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<i>AWS Techs load torpedoes</i>
<i>and sonobuoys on the aircraft</i>

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<i>and maintain those systems.</i>

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<i>While AWS Techs assigned to a maritime</i>
<i>helicopter squadron</i>

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<i>will spend time as part of the air detachment</i>
<i>on a Royal Canadian Navy frigate</i>

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<i>on naval deployments around the world,</i>
<i>loading torpedoes and sonobuoys.</i>

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<i>As part of the air maintenance team,</i>

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<i>AWS Techs work alongside</i>
<i>Avionics Systems Technicians,</i>

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<i>Aviation Systems Technicians</i>
<i>and Aircraft Structures Technicians</i>

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<i>to make sure that every aircraft takes off</i>
<i>with the ability to carry out its mission,</i>

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<i>and the firepower to back it up.</i>

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- The expectation is perfection.

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I think in a lot of areas,
civvy side and even in the military,

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getting things right most of the time
is acceptable.

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With aircraft, especially with fighter aircraft,

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the margin for error is so small,
the demands are high

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and perfection is the expectation.

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The coolest part of the job definitely
has to be the weapons side of things.

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It's what separates us from
the rest of the air maintenance team.

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One of my favourite things to do, I think,
would be going on temporary deployment.

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So we go for four to six weeks
to different places.

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I've been to Alaska and to Florida.

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It's amazing to be able to pick up
everything that we have and do the parts,

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the people, supply techs, administrative stuff,

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and move it all somewhere else
and perform the exact same,

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I think is quite the accomplishment
on everybody's plate.

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<i>- Once they complete their military</i>
<i>and occupation training,</i>

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<i>Air Weapons Systems Technicians</i>
<i>will be assigned to a squadron</i>

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<i>of CF-18 fighter jets at Cold Lake, Alberta,</i>

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<i>or Bagotville, Quebec,</i>
<i>or to one of Canada’s long-range</i>

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<i>patrol or maritime helicopter squadrons,</i>

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<i>where the aircraft also carry weapons.</i>

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<i>They’ll spend their first year working</i>
<i>under the guidance</i>

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<i>of more senior members of their team.</i>

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- When you get to your first posting,
you're going to go on a servicing course,

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then you're going to get more
of your maintenance courses.

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You’ll specialize in things like air weapons
loading operations,

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wingman driver, crew chief courses,

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Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

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But the core of your day-to-day
is going to be performing aircraft maintenance,

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regardless of what fleet you’re on.

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Therefore, attention to detail,
relying on your more senior peers

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to teach you the way things are done,
how they get done safely,

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attention to detail and safety
being two of the biggest important things

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that we do as the air maintenance team.
If it's not safe, then we're not going to do it.

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Coming out of college,
I knew I wanted to work

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as part of a highly specialized team
that had a common goal,

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and certainly being part
of the air maintenance team,

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including the pilots and the administrative folks,

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I enjoy what I do here enough that I'm going
to stay for as long as they let me.

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I don't think that I can explain to anybody

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the feeling of the noise that comes from something
like a fighter jet,

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being able to stand at the end
of the runway when you're arming aircraft,

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for example, and have six, 12, 16 aircraft
taking off.

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I think it’s something that gives you
a sense of pride.