Linebacker of the Week: SSgt Alexander Miller Published March 3, 2022 By U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn Preston ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexander Miller, a RQ-4 Global Hawk dedicated crew chief with the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron, was recognized as the 36th Wing’s Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 23, 2022. The Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week recognizes outstanding enlisted, officer, civilian and total force personnel who have had an impact on achieving Team Andersen’s Mission, Vision and Priorities. Since his arrival at Andersen AFB, Miller has led the way for his team within the 4 RS. He leads nine Airmen during pre-flight, post-flight and special inspections of two RQ-4Bs worth 225 million dollars. Additionally, Miller manages both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of the aircraft. “I maintain one of the most unique airframes in the world: the Global Hawk,” said Miller. “It has opened my perspective on how important unmanned systems are because their capabilities put us ahead of our adversaries.” Global Hawks are the sole ground moving target indicator capable aircraft in the U.S. military. These drones provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance through imagery that delivers information about our adversaries and assist in identifying targets. When one of the Global Hawks had a hydraulic malfunction in the flight control system, Miller’s expertise allowed him to identify and rectify the issue in a timely manner. Without Miller’s proficiency, this issue would have rendered the aircraft flightless and disrupted missions on Andersen AFB. He was also able to identify a faulty air turbine starter and replace it, avoiding a potentially catastrophic engine failure during the next launch. In total, Miller has also managed over 200 scheduled maintenance actions. As part of his day-to-day duties Miller also directs red ball maintenance, which means that when an aircraft breaks during launch, his team immediately goes out to fix it. This ensures Global Hawk operations are on track and keeps Andersen AFB prepared to prevail in the Indo-Pacific theater. “It is a good feeling fixing broken aircraft and then launching them on time for real world missions,” said Miller. “I also love teaching new Airmen the principles of aircraft maintenance and watching them grow into experienced maintainers.” Miller has repeatedly earned Quality Assurance Honor Roll and has earned a variety of other related awards. He uses his knowledge to oversee the skill level training of 14 Airmen, ensuring they have the information necessary to support the Global Hawks. He also supports the 4 RS as a resiliency training assistant by hosting training sessions and events. “He has used his expansive system knowledge to teach those around him and improve work dynamics,” said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Quay, airframe and power plant general section chief with the 4 RS. “His motivation and positivity are truly contagious within our work center.” The term Linebacker is rooted deep within Team Andersen’s history. Operation Linebacker II took place on Dec. 18, 1972, and was the largest number of heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II. During the operation, B-52s from Andersen flew round-the-clock bombing missions over North Vietnam to destroy major targets in Hanoi and Haiphong in an effort to bring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam back to negotiations. The recipient will have the opportunity to sign a “Linebacker” football jersey that will be displayed in the Wing Headquarters building. Good work, Airman Miller!