Laughlin’s mission to graduate the world’s best pilots could never be accomplished if it were not for the upkeep and maintenance of the base’s more than 200 aircraft.

Making this feat possible is the 47th Maintenance Directorate (MX).                                                                                                   

On Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, the 47th MX honored Edwardo De La Paz, 47th MX Component Maintenance Egress acting supervisor, with the very first “Knuckle Buster” award.

The award was created to highlight individuals who exhibit superior aircraft knowledge, work ethic and results that directly contribute to Team XL’s operational readiness.

De La Paz supervises 19 people responsible for the Component Maintenance Egress Work Center daily operations. He oversaw 3,690 maintenance actions to ensure system integrity of both T-6A Texan II and T-38 Talon ejection seats. He also redistributed tasks among other maintenance components, effectively decreasing the egress shop’s workload and increasing the 47th MX’s overall efficiency.  

“It feels really good to be awarded the first Knuckle Buster award and have our work here in the egress shop be recognized,” said De La Paz. 

“He took charge of the egress shop and re-instilled confidence in not only his work center, but the maintenance directorate as a whole,” explained John Bratton, 47th MX Component Maintenance Division superintendent.

 In the future, the Knuckle Buster award will be presented to individuals who stand out amongst their peers, just as De La Paz has.

“The importance of safety and procedural accuracy when it comes to maintaining these aircraft cannot be overstated,” said James Kelly, 47th MX director. “We want to make sure that we recognize those individuals who are doing an amazing job at helping our team do that.”