Lt. Gen. Marquez visits Sheppard

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing, Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Team Sheppard welcomed a piece of living Air Force history when a legend in the maintenance and logistics career fields visited June 3-5.

Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez, former deputy chief of staff for logistics and engineering - called by some the father of today's Air Force maintenance field - took the time to tour Sheppard and speak with Airmen in Training.

"He believed frontline maintainers were the lifeblood of the Air Force," said Col. Steven Morani, 82nd Training Group commander.

While at Sheppard, he took a look at where Air Force maintenance training has gone and where it will be going in the future - including the $21 million F-22 Raptor Maintenance Training Facility.

"It's beyond state-of-the-art, it's incredible," the general said of the facility. "It's not Orville and Wilbur anymore (referring to the father's of flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright)."

The general told Airmen that while they may be just beginning their Air Force training, their jobs will never go away. He said while the aircraft may become more complex and the tools more advanced, there would always be a need for maintainers.

"(Maintenance to me) is the most rewarding career field that I know of," General Marquez said. "It's where you see the fruits of your labor. When an aircraft takes off you know you had something to do with it. Being a maintainer is the end all and be all."

General Marquez retired from active duty in 1983 and currently the top Air Force maintainer award carries his name. He is also credited with getting the Air Force Maintainer's badge approved - though he insists others had more to do with it. The general said it was his senior NCO's that pushed him to push the badge.

"When you get that badge, wear it proudly," he told Sheppard maintenance trainees. "But remember it was three senior NCO's that made it happen. We have the best Air Force in the world because we have the best NCO's in the world."