XLer of the Week: Daniel Soto Published Oct. 9, 2019 By Senior Airman Marco A. Gomez 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Daniel Soto, a 47th Maintenance Directorate aircraft maintenance supervisor, was chosen by wing leadership to be the “XLer of the Week” of Sept. 30, 2019 at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Soto, an 18-year maintenance veteran with the T-38C Talon division pushed his team to accomplish an extraordinary feat by raising sortie scheduling effectiveness by more than 90 percent — only the second time in the team’s history. “I have an amazing maintenance crew,” he said. “There’s a lot of integrity, hard work, and countless hours. Part of that success is because we work unscheduled and scheduled maintenance and I have to balance and prioritize what we’re going to work on throughout the day. In order to meet a high demand of available aircraft, Soto takes a strategic look at scheduled and unscheduled maintenance daily, and prioritizes the repairs accordingly. “Based on what aircraft availability we have, we make sure there are enough aircraft for the flying schedule and at the same time maintain scheduled maintenance to stay on track and get the mission done,” he said. Ensuring the T-38 fleet stays ready to fly at all times can prove to be challenging. Soto’s timeless experience helps lay the foundation to Laughlin’s mission success and in turn, earn him the “XLer of the Week.”