YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Getting planes off the ground is not an easy task. Through pain-staking processes and meticulous procedures, Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group Detachment 1 perform maintenance on CV-22 Ospreys to keep the airframe flying.

Their job, critical to a successful mission, involves inspecting every inch of the aircraft through what is called phase maintenance. Phase is a form of preventive maintenance that identifies potential problems before they arise and increases the longevity of the aircraft.

Approximately 70 personnel work around the clock assisting with this maintenance.

“There are specific items we have to look at to make sure these aircraft are air-worthy,” said Master Sgt. Jin L. Yum, 353rd SOG CV-22 lead production superintendent. “You check every component on the aircraft to make sure they’re working properly. We’re checking everything to get these planes back up safely and on time.”

The CV-22s are thoroughly checked after 280 flight hours. It’s important the Airmen perform scheduled maintenance like these, enabling hundreds of flying hours of their mission-essential operations.

Their hard work and dedication ensures the aircraft is ready to perform in any real-world problem.

“These Airmen work harder than any other,” said Yum. “I wouldn’t trade them for any other maintainer on any other platform.”