Photo By Airman 1st Class Anthony Ramey | U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 5th Munitions (5MUNS) huddle after completing a...... read more read more
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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D.- The 5th Munitions Squadron (5MUNS) is ready to compete in the Air Force Combat Operations Competition (AFCOCOMP) at Beale Air Force Base, California, from Aug. 11-15.
AFCOCOMP is an annual competition that pits conventional munitions maintenance Airmen from major commands across the Air Force in a battle against one another for munitions supremacy. This year, nine teams will face off in a nine-event contest designed to test everything from teamwork and precision to endurance and adaptability.
“This competition prepares us for the bigger fight,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Richardson, conventional maintenance section chief and returning team lead. “If we were called to action and you needed a team to go out there and build a munitions conveyor, put together a bunch of bombs, and deliver them to the flightline as fast as possible, you’d want this team.”
The Minot AFB 5MUNS team, representing Air Force Global Strike Command for the second year in a row, is aiming to win first place. After narrowly missing first place last year by a single point to Seymour Johnson AFB, the team is determined to take the top spot in 2025.
“This year, we’re coming back sharper,” said Senior Airman Kerry Harrington, a conventional maintenance crew chief. “We’re cutting down our times, reducing deficiencies, and dialing in our team coordination. We’ve trained hard for this.”
The team has been conducting repeated Munitions Assembly Conveyor (MAC) builds, trailer crossloads, spontaneous ordnance build drills, and constructing munitions such as GBU-54s, GBU-56s, and MK-82 conicals - many of which could appear in competition events.
One of their most recent drills featured a timed assembly of 12 conicals and two GBU-56s, the kind of mission-critical repetition that turns muscle memory into wartime readiness.
“It’s more than just speed,” said Harrington. “We’re focused on proficiency, safety, and doing things the right way the first time.”
Each AFCOCOMP team consists of 10 members, ranging in rank from Airman Basic to Master Sergeant. The events test not just technical know-how, but the ability to operate efficiently under pressure in simulated contingency environments.
“We’re going to be challenged with building things like the GBU-32 and handling AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles we don’t use here,” said Richardson. “But our team has experience. Several members, including myself, have worked with those systems before at other bases, so we’re ready to adapt.”
“This squadron has 13 different sections,” said Richardson. “This group of Airmen doesn’t usually work side-by-side. But over the last two months, they’ve become one unit: smooth, fluid, locked in. I’m proud of that.”
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2025 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 545214 |
| Location: | MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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