By Dona Fair
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- For the son of a Lutz woman, there is no such thing as making a mistake. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Thompson, son of Susan M. Thompson, Cloverdale Court, Lutz, and the late Jimmy Ray Thompson, is one of a small group of Air Force men and women responsible for the safety, security and reliability of a part of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, a job that leaves no room for error.
Thompson is a C-17 aircraft propulsion specialist with the 62nd Airlift Wing, a part of the Prime Nuclear Airlift Force mission. He and his fellow airmen recently took part in a week-long nuclear surety inspection where they received the highest score possible. Thompson’s job is to focus on the aircraft’s four main engines and auxiliary power unit.
“I maintain, repair, service and operate these systems to make sure the C-17 is in top shape to transport these weapon systems if ever needed,” said Thompson, a 1999 graduate of Land O’ Lakes High School, Fla.
This nuclear airlift mission is divided into three main areas. One area is the personnel reliability program. This program ensures that airmen who deal with nuclear weapons are emotionally stable, reliable and physically able to do their jobs. Another important part of the program is the upkeep and maintenance of the aircraft 
and the third, and maybe most important, is the training to ensure the proper transport of the weapons.
For Thompson and his fellow maintainers and aircrew members, this training is hardly left to chance. “My training leading up to this inspection included at least a year of experience on the airframe, as well as qualification on engine run training, borescope training, engine fan blade blending and inlet and exhaust training,” said Thompson. “There was also a rigorous interview and singular senior review of my qualifications, as well as a training 
session with an experienced team member during an actual mission preparation.”
In a job where second chances are rare, Thompson feels that attention-to-detail in every aspect of the job is paramount to success. “It is what we are supposed to do every day, and, for us, that second look and extra attention-to-detail is critical. During mission prep, the shift hours are longer to allow us the extra time to spend on those details and make sure everything gets done right the first time.”
Thompson, who has been in the Air Force for nine years, knows how critical the prime nuclear airlift force is to the Air Force and the nation and that safely transporting the weapon systems is just as important as being prepared to use them.
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