EDWARDS, Calif. (KERO) — Edwards Air Force Base gave 23 ABC a tour of its Non-Destructive Inspection department. Roughly half of its staff is made up of civilians.
- The NDI department at Edwards AFB is like the doctor's office of the base. The staff detects any issues with aircraft.
- The NDI team at Edwards AFB uses X-ray equipment similar to a doctor's office.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
N D I ... It stands for Non-Destructive Inspection. The staff at Edwards Air Force Base also says it can mean No Dirt Involved. I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter. The staff at Edwards gave me an inside look at their operations.
The Non-Destructive Inspection department at Edwards Air Force Base is unique. It’s not a military-only job. Roughly half the team is civilian.
It includes people like Jannet Diaz, who attended Antelope Valley College in Lancaster. Now, she’s a tester for NDI.
“I always get a really good feeling knowing that when there’s an aircraft in the sky it’s because I contributed to that success,” Diaz said.
Hector Chacon, the NDI master sergeant, enjoys that Diaz is part of the team.
“Here at Edwards Air Force Base it’s unique because we get to work so closely with our civilian teammates. That’s something that’s not traditional at other installations. It’s the first time I’ve had the opportunity in 16 years. I would have to say working with our civilian counterparts is the awesome part of my job,” Chacon said.
I received an inside view of the NDI department at Edwards. Among the highlights, the NDI team uses X-Ray equipment to detect issues with aircraft. The NDI staff is important for the safety of the pilots.
“NDI. It’s a hidden gem in the maintenance world. It’s not very known about. I didn’t know about it until I got to boot camp. And it has been a great career field. Also, Edwards Air Force Base, it is a great installation to have in this area, just because of the job opportunities it provides for the local communities,” Chacon said.
The NDI team at Edwards recently completed inspection on a B-52 17 days ahead of schedule and it is currently inspecting a T-38.
“You never know which way your day is going to go. It can be as simple as working in the shop all day. Or it can be you’re running from plant to plant on the flight line. You never know what’s going to happen. Any pop-up jobs. Any scheduled maintenance or anything like that, you just never know. That’s the excitement of the day. There’s never a dull moment, especially here,” said Brandon Tate, a staff sergeant.
Many in NDI say they are like the doctors of aircraft. They detect the problems. I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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