Photo By Senior Airman Kathryn Reaves | A munition rests on an F-16CM Fighting Falcon at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jan. 13,...... read more read more
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Airmen from the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron tested their knowledge and readiness during a quarterly load crew competition here, Jan. 13.
The 20th AMXS’s 77th Aircraft Maintenance Unit load crew proved to their competition that speed isn’t everything when it comes to loading munitions onto an F-16CM Fighting Falcon.
Although the 55th AMU team finished their tasks more quickly, the 77th AMU team was awarded more overall points in comprehensive sections and took the win.
An audience of military, family members, supporters and local civic leaders spectated the loading of inert weapons at the event.
South Carolina Sen. Thomas McElveen said this competition was the first of its kind he has had the opportunity to see.
“Everything I’ve seen here is amazing,” said McElveen after the contest’s completion.
Load crew competitions are designed to test how quickly and accurately teams of Airmen can load munitions onto an aircraft while properly complying with technical orders, said Senior Airman Kyle Horton, 20th Maintenance Group weapons standardization section lead crew member.
The Airmen who compete are chosen based on their quarterly statistics, which is data compiled from monthly evaluations. The data is reviewed by flight chiefs and supervision to determine which Airmen loaded the safest and most efficiently.
Some of the tasks include evaluating the aircraft and munitions for serviceability, preparing them to be loaded, and loading the munitions.
While competing, the teams face stressors such as the cheering crowd and scrutinizing inspectors as they try to focus on accuracy and safety.
“When they go through the load competition, they start to appreciate when they are not being bothered,” said Horton. “The stress can be pretty high when you have that many people watching. When they get done, I think they start to take away a new appreciation for concentration and how much it actually takes to make sure we are doing our job effectively, efficiently and safely.”
However, the noise and pressure during a competition is only a small taste of what these Airmen experience during a deployment. Mistakes can cost teams points while they compete, but mistakes can mean something very different in a deployed environment.
“These competitions actually help our Airmen when we get ready to go downrange because it brings some of the stressors that might be downrange,” said Horton. “For example, if we’re deployed and we have a mission to complete in only a certain amount of time, they know what to expect when that time standard is affecting the mission. They know we only have a certain amount of time to be able to make an aircraft mission-ready. We need to hustle, but we also need to make sure we are adhering to our technical orders and guidance. We practice like we play.”
The primary mission 20th Fighter Wing Airmen support during deployments is the suppression of enemy air defenses, which means denying enemies the ability to defend themselves.
The SEAD mission would fail without aircraft maintenance Airmen performing their jobs to the best of their abilities. If munitions were handled or loaded incorrectly, the consequences could range from loss of equipment to loss of life.
“We want to make sure that our munitions only go ‘boom’ when we want them to,” said Horton. “Our job can be dangerous. We’re dealing with explosives, things that are meant to cause harm to people. It’s of the utmost importance to make sure safety is number one.”
Horton said weapon loaders are charged with becoming familiar with technical orders, procedures and notes. By becoming proficient with this information, Airmen build a strong foundation for learning the more advanced procedures of the job.
While these competitions test a load crew’s ability to do the job, the competition also showcases the Air Force’s capabilities in front of family members, friends and local leaders.
The two teams demonstrated their knowledge and skills under pressure. Their ability to complete the objective directly reflects their readiness to face the fight of today and into the future.
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2017 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 220470 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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