Photo By Stephenie Wade | Senior Airman Mark Schelkoph, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions crew...... read more read more
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This is the last article discussing the role of the 2W0 career field, munitions systems. This is a look into the journey of stored munitions from assembly to its delivery to the flight line. All the airmen are deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Airmen in the munitions systems career field are in charge of maintaining a variety of weapon systems daily. When the flightline places an order for munitions, it goes to the conventional maintenance shop where airmen work around the clock assembling bombs.
Keeping the A-10 supplied with munitions represents one of the many missions the conventional maintenance shop is responsible for.
"To keep it simple I build bombs, but there is much more to it than just putting together parts. For example, I ensure aircraft have the munitions they need like guided bombs, missiles and cannon ammo," said Staff Sgt. Clinton Parkins, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, munitions crew chief.
After receiving the order, the conventional maintenance shop uses the Combat Ammunition System to find the bomb or missile components that will be needed to build the munitions. Then a build request is submitted to the munitions storage shop and the munitions are delivered directly to the Munitions Assembly Conveyor (MAC) pad.
"Depending on the requirement, I assemble or disassemble the munitions to make sure they are free of corrosion, undamaged, and still within its service life," said Parkins. "The whole process works like an assembly line when it is on the conveyor."
All the airmen on the crew have specific jobs on the MAC pad such as attaching the fins, screwing in retaining rings and fuses and installing arming wire and lugs.
"It's tedious work down here on the pad but I know the hard work we do down here allows the pilot up there know he can do his job when the time comes," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Osborn, 455th EMXS, crew member and native of Great Falls, Mont.
After the guided bombs are fully assembled and inspected, they are placed on a weapons trailer ready to be picked up by the line delivery shop for delivery to the flight line. The line delivery airmen don't spend as much time inside the bomb dump as other airmen in the munitions career field. Instead the line delivery shop is located on the flight line to deliver munitions to and from the Munitions Storage Area.
"Sometimes munitions control will call down with an unscheduled delivery request that has to get done ASAP," said Staff Sgt. Marcus Bunce, 455th EMXS, crew chief and native of Mianto, Okla.
"We don't have the luxury of time when a plane needs to fly a mission right now. But it's satisfying to see the work of my airmen actually go on the plane and fly."
The job of a line delivery airmen is just as difficult as those who work in the bomb dump. Transporting the munitions requires many safety checks and verification of load configuration.
"Even though I'm moving enough explosives to level a wide area, the safety checks we are required to follow keep me and the people around me safe," said Bunce.
Once the munitions are dropped off to the 455th EAMXS weapons flight personnel on the flight line, the hard work of the ammo airman is done.
Parkins concluded, "Without us there is no boom; no shock and awe."
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2013 05:52 |
| Story ID: | 114526 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, US |
| Hometown: | MIAMI, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | VALDOSTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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