Pride of the Pack: Master Sgt. Mark Molineaux

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  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Unit: 8th Maintenance Squadron Phase Inspection

Duties: Inspection section NCO in charge

Hometown: Norfolk, Va.

Hobbies: Live music! I was the front man for the "Top Dog Band" at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and I want to start something like that here.

Favorite music: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Cake, etc.

Follow on: Lakenheath, England

Last good movie you saw: The Edge of Darkness

Best thing you've done here: I have had the honor of running the phase inspection section for the past 27 days, and I couldn't be more proud of the men and women I work with. Those guys and girls are the real deal!

Reason for nomination: "On March 24, during a 1,200-hour environmental control system inspection on (an aircraft), a small metal piece of the low stage check value stopper was discovered broken off and suspected to be a foreign object within the ECS and a grave risk to safety of flight. As impound official, Master Sergeant Molineaux led a three-member team to locate and recover the FO. He applied his vast experience and knowledge to use a borescope not only to locate the FO, but ingeniously incorporated a second borescope as a tool to capture it. Through 12 feet of ducting and four turns, including going through a complex regulator valve, the team successfully retrieved the FO, saving 72 hours normally required for removal and replacement of the ECS package. His leadership minimized impact to the scheduled phase inspection and ensured this aircraft stayed on the Operational Readiness Inspection pre-planned line up. Sergeant Molineaux has been at Kunsan Air Base for less than a month and has already made a huge impact to the Wolf Pack mission!" -- Maj. William Bradley, 8th MXS commander