RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – “It’s probably fine.”

This may be the most dangerous phrase in the world of aircraft maintenance. Not many people can say they would ever want to board an aircraft that’s been upheld on “good enough.” The Airmen assigned to the 86th Maintenance Squadron take that thought and transform the uncertainty to a fully-fledged standard of guarantees.

“Reliable aircraft win battles, but reliable Airmen are the ones who keep them in the air,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Snyder, 86th MXS electrical and environmental journeyman. “Reliable Airmen means zero guesswork for your team.”

Snyder’s relationship with responsibility and reliability was shaped by his previous duty station in the Republic of Korea. There he assisted with repairs on an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, after a panel-related issue led to significant aircraft damage. The aircraft remained grounded for months, requiring extensive wiring repair and troubleshooting.

“The experience changed how I view responsibility,” he said. “It made me develop a ‘trust but verify’ mentality.”

He took the lessons he learned and applied them to how he handles himself as a non-commissioned officer, after arriving on station at Ramstein last February. He personally guides his Airmen to take ownership, allowing them the space to ask questions and admit mistakes rather than hide them.

“What separates a good maintainer from a great one is ownership,” Snyder said. “A good maintainer clocks in, earns his paycheck and leaves, but a great one takes full responsibility for the aircraft.”

That sense of ownership extends beyond individual maintenance workshops at Ramstein, all stemming from the fact that maintainers from multiple specialties support one of the Air Force’s busiest mobility hubs.

Serving as the backbone of maintenance operations at Ramstein at the 86th MXS, the squadron is responsible for scheduled letter checks, inspecting aircraft systems, repairing electrical and environmental systems components, servicing liquid oxygen equipment and patient transport systems.

For newer Airmen this can be an eye-opening experience coming straight from technical training. Airman 1st Class Zachery Polzel, 86th MXS aircraft inspections journeyman, explained that many new Airmen expect to focus only on their assigned sections, but quickly learn how interconnected maintenance is across the Global Gateway.

“We’re a jack of all trades, having our hands in every aspect of maintenance and constantly evolving and innovating to make our process better,” he said.

The ability to evolve is a key piece to Ramstein’s mission, where the C-130J aircraft support operations for aeromedical evacuation missions, tactical and strategic airlift and even humanitarian relief.

“Speed is an illusion; bypassing a step in the end to save 20 minutes, you’d just end up with a broken aircraft,” Snyder said. “It’s crucial that everyone follows guidance so you don’t potentially cause loss of life.”

Reliability is often described as a characteristic of a machine. In reality though, it begins as a characteristic of people. Aircraft only become reliable because someone questions an assumption. That “someone” at Ramstein are the Airmen of the 86th MXS, taking the time to challenge their first answer and refusing to accept ‘probably’ as good enough.