MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Not all maintenance technicians aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar play a direct role in supporting aircraft flight capabilities, but the ground support equipment technicians of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 are well aware of their equipments' impact on fighter jet flight operations.

"The gear itself is very important to get an aircraft (ready for issue)," said Cpl.Danny Mixon, GSE paint and corrosion control work center supervisor, MALS-11, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and 21-year-old native of Idabel, Okla. "How else could you test the hydraulics system of an aircraft without one of our hydraulic test stands?"

The stand is used to test and purify the hydraulics systems of jets and is one example of dozens of pieces of equipment that are used to not only keep the jets safely airborne but also ready for combat missions.

All munitions loaded onto aircraft are done so with the use of GSE's weapons loaders and hoists. 

"We directly impact the wing's mission," said Cpl. Joseph N. Wagner, a supervisor in the GSE hydraulics and pneumatic systems shop, and 21-year-old native of Chicago. "(Marines) on the flightline can't do maintenance on aircraft or get them up in the air without GSE. If we were not here to support them, they don't go anywhere."

Both Marines share similar views on what impact their efforts have on flight operations, but they differ in one factor that usually determines a technician's area of expertise: Military Occupational Specialty.

Mixon is a support equipment electrician and refrigeration technician, and Wagner is a hydraulics and pneumatic systems mechanic.  Even so, both Marines are expected to perform in each other's MOS.

Sergeant George R. Singer, GSE tire and battery shop work center supervisor, has both an electrician and a mechanic working for him and says it's not a problem for the different MOSs to work side by side. 

"It helps," said the 26-year-old native of Rochester Hills, Mich. "(We) bring each other's skills in."

Cpl. Adam A. Criswell, GSE production controller, also credits the ability of all the "dual-hatted" technicians in the shop to successfully maintain so many different types of equipment.

"(We) mix and cross train everybody," said the 22-year-old native of Springer, N.M.

Criswell notes this mutually supportive training enables each technician to know what to do if they are deployed with a minimal staff.

For Lance Cpl. Leonardo A. Contreras, a 20-year-old native of Bakersfield, Calif., cross training in an area outside his specialty means he is learning to become qualified in more areas of GSE.

"I didn't expect it," Contreras said, on cross training in a different MOS. "But it just means I can work on any piece of gear."

Wagner echoes this thought.  "I like the fact I can work on a bunch of different systems," he said. "I am like a jack-of-all-trades."