Don't know about loadmasters, but enlisted flight crew on helos:
Schools:
Bootcamp > MCT > Pensacola > HMT-30X (2 parts)
SERE is supposed to be thrown in there somewhere.
For example, as a 6174, Huey Aircrew member, you would go to HMT-303. First you would go to FREST or I think it is called NAMTRAMAR now and learn how to be a mechanic (6112/6113/6114 MOS). (My MOS is 6114 btw). After you graduate you would start working at the squadron to get your Plane Captain qualification.
Once you are a plane captain, you start getting your X's for your aircrew wings. (6172, 6173, 6174 MOS)
On the ground:
Basic mechanical work, Daily and Turnaround Inspections, Assist with preflight. Typically the full-time mechs (12/13/14's) do the bigger jobs: engine packs, tranny r&r's, phase crew, etc..., but crewchiefs also do this stuff as the need arises.
You will also be doing a lot of testing. Testing is required to tune the engine or the blades after performing certain types of maintenance on them. Now that the "popsicle" is gone, testing is basically hooking up a test set to the helicopter and then performing the required actions, then you shut down, make the required adjustments, and keep testing until it works out. Sometimes this takes just one run, sometimes you will be out there for a day or two.
The other big thing is DNT (Daily and Turnaround Inspections). Plane Captains do these constantly. Basically they are safe for flight inspections. You go over every aspect of the aircraft and inspect nearly every critical component to ensure that the aircraft is safe for flight. You also check for structural integrity, fuel integrity, avionics operability, etc... Once this is done, you sign off saying that you certify the aircraft safe. This is obviously a lot of responsibility. It's not like inspecting your car - if you miss something, people could be seriously hurt or even killed.
In every squadron there are a lot of jobs, avionics, airframes, etc..., but flightline - and more specifically plane captains, is expected to know everyone's job, at least a little bit. We aren't avionicsmen, but we have to know how to test all the avionics to make sure it works (then we call them to come fix it), we aren't airframers, but you better know how to check rivets and check structural integrity. Also, we end up doing a lot of the other shops "little bs work" like putting on chafe tape or something, simply because it is faster to just do it yourself.
Expect to work your ass off too. If you aren't working, you are studying until you have all your qualifications. If you have your quals and you aren't working, then you go find someone from another shop (avionics/airframes/etc...) who is working, and start learning from them.
In the air:
I am not a crewchief, but my job is pretty much identical, except for the flying portion.
In the air you can have multiple responsibilities though, esp. depending on your platform (46, 53, H-1).
Some, but not all, include:
Everyone's favorite, Aerial gunnery: Manning the 50 cal or the mini-gun
PAX Control: Keeping the PAX safe and making sure they aren't doing anything stupid
First Aid: If it is SAR,CSAR,or Casevac/Medevac, there will be a Corpsman on board (hopefully), but you will still be expected to assist (if possible) with casualties on board.
Miscellaneous: You will also be doing any "odd jobs" that need done. Assisting with gear, landing/taxiing, impromptu maintenance after the aircraft goes down in the middle of the desert because the pilot oversped the engine trying to save a stupid drunk driver at the hospital during a SAR call at 0230 on memorial day weekend.
Also, not to say that this has ever happened - or does happen - but you may, be in charge of flashing the international "show us your boobs" symbol when flying low over the river and passing drunk girls in bikinis on boats. This is especially important after the sign with explicit instructions was retired - err, if there was a sign.
And the #1 thing you will be doing: Visual Surveillance. You will constantly be providing status reports on what you see on your side of the aircraft, especially when landing or maneuvering near terrain. Expect to say "Clear on the right/left" a million times.
You will hear stories about the crewchiefs ripping off panels to fix the transmission during the middle of a flight, but I have yet to see anything like that happen - of course my flight time is limited.
Anyway, that is probably not everything, because I am not a 6174, just a 6114. It's the same job, and we are all flightliners and plane captains (ie: knuckle draggers), just they fly, and we get stuck pulling engine packs all night to support the next days flight schedule
Hope that helps some.
Edit: Enlisted Aircrewmen enlist under the "AG" option. Ground mechanics enlist under the "AF" option.
Unfortunately, you don't get much choice in what airframe you wind up on, and if you go the AF route, you might end up as a nasty airframer, instead of an awesome flightliner.
