Coming home: Former maintainer returns to 100th MXG after 18 years

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Back in June 1990, Dan Cinelli arrived at RAF Mildenhall as a staff sergeant and maintainer on KC-135 Stratotankers. Eighteen years later, he was back again as a Department of Defense civilian working in the 100th Maintenance Group as an eTools functional systems administrator, maintaining, trouble-shooting and installing eTools – the laptops and tablets used by all the maintainers which hold all their required Air Force technical orders.

After starting on the flightline, he moved over to the isochronal inspection team, then “dash-21” (maintaining aircraft equipment, such as seats and floor rollers for cargo) before eventually becoming the workgroup manager in the programs office.

During his two back-to-back tours at RAF Mildenhall, he met and married his wife, before retiring in September 1998.

“It’s like coming home again,” said Cinelli, on working back on the base where he’d spent much of his military career. “There may be different buildings and different people, but I still consider it home. I never wanted to leave – my wife is from Wisbech (Norfolk, England), but after two tours here as enlisted, I had no choice. I like to think I made a difference while I was here.”

There was one familiar face he recognized when he arrived back here – that of former senior master sergeant Bill Dukes, 100th Operations Support Squadron.

“He worked at the simulator until recently, but he was my NCO in charge of programs office when I was here before,” said Cinelli.

Still living in the local area, Dukes retired from the civilian workforce Nov. 18, 2016, but said he remembers Cinelli from the old days.

“Dan was a great guy – I loved working with him,” said Dukes, who served as a military member at RAF Mildenhall from 1993 to 2003, until he retired from active duty, then stay on as a civilian. “I remember he was very knowledgeable; he was originally hired in my shop to manage the mobility department, but his information technology skills were unreal! He spent 80 percent of his time doing computer maintenance, and just had a knack for it.”

Good memories with colleagues weren’t the only thing Cinelli left behind.

“I played softball with the squadron when I was active duty here – they didn’t have a baseball team – and they actually still have the trophy in the trophy case from when we won the base championship in 1993,” Cinelli exclaimed delightedly. “I played short stop pretty much that whole time; that was the first base championship I’d ever been a part of and it felt good.”

The son of an Italian father, who moved to the States with his family when he was 5, and Norwegian mother who was born in Brooklyn, New York, Cinelli was also born in Brooklyn, and has three brothers and two sisters. He spent his childhood in New York, later joining the U.S. Air Force, and eventually making England his home.

After retiring from active duty, he went to work at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, England, in the IT department, then moved over to RAF Lakenheath, firstly in the 48th Medical Group as a contractor, then to the 48th Force Support Squadron, before finally returning to his former base in February 2016.

As a civilian, Cinelli’s job now involves working with Airmen spread throughout several buildings – the ISO dock, each of the specialist backshops within Hangar 814, fuel cell, two aircraft ground equipment buildings, and transient alert. He’s responsible for maintaining 298 eTool devices, keeping them up and running, along with installing and reinstalling programs when required.

“It’s vital in supporting the mission because it’s a requirement that the T.O.s always have to accompany any maintenance person when they perform any job or task on the aircraft,” he explained. “Even when they’re being inspected by quality assurance, they have to have a T.O. with them, because they have strictly go by the T.O. to pass that test.”

Having worked for years both as enlisted and civilian, he draws on that wisdom to share advice with today’s Airmen.

“Always try to do your job to the best of your ability, the way it’s supposed to be done. Don’t take any shortcuts that might get you into hot water, or cause injury to you, others, or the aircraft, and don’t let any bad habits take over your life and ruin your career in the Air Force.”

The veteran said he’s happy to be back working in the 100th MXG after all these years, and to be directly involved with the Airmen who now work on the KC-135s he used to, so he can continue to be part of the 100th Air Refueling Wing mission.

“It felt like I was coming home in a way; I feel like this is where I belong,” said Cinelli contentedly.