TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Carving a pumpkin can be a challenge. First coming up with an idea, then actually being able to get that idea stenciled onto a round, bumpy surface and being patient enough to carve the fine details you envisioned.
With skilled and steady hands, Misha Hennigh and her co-workers of the 548th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron Rubber Team dedicated off-duty hours prior to their shift Oct. 31 to craft their pumpkin, aptly named Ghillie’s Eye, which took first place out of 15 contenders, during the 76th PMXG pumpkin carving contest. They were awarded the $100 grand prize donated by the Busy Bee Booster Club. Hennigh plans to use the winnings for her shop’s Thanksgiving and Christmas meals by buying a smoked turkey and ham, respectively.
Hennigh, who is originally from Harjo, Oklahoma and was previously an orthopedic medical assistant, has been a rubber worker in Bldg. 3001 at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex for seven months. When asked where she got the idea, Hennigh stated that she used her ghillie suit that she uses to hunt turkey as the backdrop. The mouth represents the Venus Flytrap from the movie Little Shop of Horrors. The worms attached give it a gory side and the eye in the mouth was a last-minute idea for a creepy effect. To create the pumpkin it took 20 minutes to stencil the design, two hours of cutting and 45 minutes to paint. They used five main colors along with purple and green for the blue eye.
Just as the pumpkin has an eye for detail, so do the rubber workers of the 548th PMXS. A rubber worker’s job consists of installing rubber strips into 1st, 2nd and 3rd fan cases and shrouds of F-15 and F-16 F100-PW-220/229 engines. The shop has installed rubber on 1,541 pieces throughout the past year. The rubber decreases vibration within the engine during flight.
Looking ahead, the shop has started learning the new process of replacing inner and outer rubber seals for F-119 Stator Vanes for the F-22 Raptor.