JANUARY 8, 2026 – Airmen from the 23d Maintenance Squadron’s corrosion section recently completed the repair and restoration of the miniature aircraft displays at the Davidson Gate at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, June – Oct. 2025.
The effort included structural repairs, repainting and fabrication work to bring new life to the A-10C Thunderbolt II, HH-60W Jolly Green II and HC-130J Combat King II models that greet the Airmen, visitors and local community members when entering the base.
“Every one of the models was completely waterlogged — I don’t know how old they were, but they were soaked,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Buentello, 23d MXS wing corrosion manager. “We brought it in, dried it out the best we could and assessed the damage. The interiors were made of expandable foam, wood and fiberglass, and a lot of that was deteriorating and rotting.”
What started as a simple repaint quickly turned into a full reconstruction effort, requiring specialized skills, creative problem-solving and cross-shop teamwork within the maintenance squadron to fix the damage from years of exposure to heat, storms and water intrusion.
“Some of the challenges we had were that the models aren’t our usual purview of work,” said Staff Sgt. Tucker Lee, 23d MXS wing corrosion noncommissioned officer in charge. “They’re not built structurally like aircraft — they’re just models — so we weren’t used to some of the structural differences. As we were sanding down the paint, we had to be careful not to break through and damage them further. We did have help from the composite repair facility with repairing the helicopter and doing some repair work on the C-130.”
As the team evaluated the condition of the displays, they discovered that traditional aircraft repair methods wouldn’t work. Instead, Buentello relied on his automotive background to guide the restoration.
“I brought in what I learned as a collision repair specialist and instead of approaching it the way you repair aircraft, I approached it like you’d repair a car,” he said. “The products we use on aircraft just aren’t applicable to a wood-and-foam model. I repaired it as if a car had come into my shop and I was doing a fiberglass body kit repair.”
The corrosion section partnered with the composite repair facility to tackle structural issues, including repairing damage on the HH-60W and fabricating replacement HC-130J propeller blades using 3D scanning and printing. Throughout the project, Airmen received hands-on experience with unfamiliar materials and techniques, including the use of automotive fillers and clearcoat.
“Some of the highlights were the hands-on training with the Airmen, showing them how to apply the automotive skills I learned to these aircraft models like reverse masking, so the two-tone paint doesn’t leave a hard line, using body filler, reinforced fiberglass filler, polyester body filler and automotive paints,” Buentello said. “Those aren’t products we’d normally use on aircraft, so it was a good chance to teach a different skill set.”
The corrosion team chose to add a clearcoat, something not typically used on Air Force aircraft, to protect the displays from future sun and weather exposure. The additional layer is expected to extend the life of the models by several years.
“It’s one of the things I love about the 23d Wing — the history, and just how much of it there is,” Lee said. “It’s the first thing you see when you drive onto base. If those displays look good, it sets the tone for the experience on the rest of the base.”
With the repairs complete, the iconic gate guardians once again represent the heritage of the 23d Wing and its Attack, Rescue, Prevail mission, standing as a reminder of Moody’s history to every Airman, family member and visitor who drives through the front gate.
Story by Senior Airman Leonid Soubbotine
23rd Wing