Story by Senior Airman Johnny Diaz | Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson | 01.09.2026
The new year started with a bang as weapons and ammunition crews competed in the Mission Generation Competition of the Year at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 9, 2026. This competition tested accuracy, precision, and speed as crews assembled and loaded ordnance onto three U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors....
Story by Deidre Patin | Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division | 12.16.2025
Whether it's hiking up Mount Whitney or briefing the Secretary of Defense, it's all in a day's work for Michael Stenger. A former marathon runner, he has had a marathon career, from supporting the legacy of the Sidewinder Missile to advancing new technologies and means of warfighting. Hired in 1985 as a technician, Stenger has made a significant impact in his 40 years with Naval Air Warfare......
Story by Tim Gantner | Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division | 11.17.2025
Gabriel Soto and his friends built model aircraft in the late 1970s. Military ones. F-4 Phantoms, F-14 Tomcats, F-16 Fighting Falcons. You name it....
Story by Airman 1st Class Gretchen McCarty | 52nd Fighter Wing | 11.02.2025
A quarterly load competition had just begun, the goal to be the first to load three weapons onto their respective F-16. Winning requires near-perfect coordination, teamwork, and communication in a loud, chaotic, high-stakes environment. Teams are scored not only by how fast they load the weapons, but also by how few errors were present in their work....
Story by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell | 35th Fighter Wing | 06.17.2025
The 35th Fighter Wing officially activated the 35th Munitions Squadron (MUNS) on June 17, 2025, establishing a dedicated unit to oversee munitions operations and reinforce combat readiness in support of Indo-Pacific regional objectives....
Story by 1st Lt. Nicole Szews | 169th Fighter Wing | 06.07.2025
The 169th Fighter Wing's weapons load crew earned the title of top team at the inaugural multi-unit Air National Guard weapons load competition hosted by the 114th Fighter Wing, South Dakota, on June 7, 2025. Load teams from South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona, and South Carolina participated....
Story by Airman 1st Class Rachel Howell | 23rd Wing | 05.21.2025
A high-intensity exercise designed to simulate the pressures and realities of combat operations took place May 21, 2025 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
Story by Senior Airman James Johnson | 18th Wing | 05.01.2025
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – The 18th Maintenance Group hosted the quarterly weapons load competition at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 1, 2025, bringing together weapons load crews from across the group to test their speed, precision and teamwork. These competitions are designed to showcase weapons Airmens’ skills to safely and efficiently load munitions onto a fighter aircraft under the......
