• Weapons loaders are on shift 24 hours a day, seven days a week • Work in teams of three in order to provide backup, safety and assistance • "We've flown approximately 26,000 combat missions, and we have about a 99 percent mission effectiveness"
Photos
Staff Sgt. David Yocom and Senior Airman Nadja Ainsworth make the final check and pull the safety pins from weapons loaded onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon before takeoff June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeant Yocom is a 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew chief, and is a native of Oldbridge, N.J. Airman Ainsworth is a 332nd EAMXS weapons loader from Puyallup, Wash. Both are deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Staff Sgt. Kusan Barter inspects a piece of weapons release equipment for an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeant Barter is a 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron armament-systems craftsman, deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and is a native of Pensacola, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Airmen from the 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron make final checks to weapons loaded onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon before takeoff June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Staff Sgt. Kusan Barter inspects a piece of weapons release equipment for an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeant Barter is a 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron armament-systems craftsman, deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and is a native of Pensacola, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Staff Sgt. David Yocom makes a final check and pulls the safety pins from weapons loaded onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon before takeoff June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeant Yocom is a 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapon load crew chief. He is deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and is a native of Oldbridge, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Airmen from the 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to load munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Weapons loaders deployed here ensure every aircraft is armed properly and safely. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Tech. Sgt. Brett Kitzman and Staff Sgt. Michelle Torrey load munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeants Kitzman and Torrey are both 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loaders and deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. Sergeant Kitzman is a native of Aurora, Colo., and Sergeant Torrey is a native of Greeley, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Staff Sgt. Carly Meckle (left) and Staff Sgt. Michelle Torrey check the connections after loading munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeants Meckle and Torrey are 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loaders deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. Sergeant Meckle is a native of Lyons, Colo., and Sergeant Torrey is a native of Greeley, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Staff Sgt. Michelle Torrey and Tech. Sgt. Brett Kitzman check connections after loading munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeants Torrey and Kitzman are 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loaders and deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. Sergeant Torrey is a native of Greeley, Colo., and Sergeant Kitzman is from Aurora, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
Tech. Sgt. Brett Kitzman reviews a checklist before loading munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon June 29 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sergeant Kitzman is a 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loader. He is deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., and is a native of Aurora, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)
by Staff Sgt. John Gordinier
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
7/15/2009 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Without the work of Airmen who load munitions on aircraft, F-16 Fighting Falcons in the fight here would be no different than any commercial airliner in terms of strike capability.
Combat missions occur around the clock here and weapons loaders from the 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron are on shift 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making sure every aircraft is armed properly and safely.
"Our munitions loaders are an integral part of the team ... because they load munitions and get aircraft ready to go for the pilots," said Col. Perry Oaks, the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group commander.
"If I can't put bombs on the airplanes, all I have is an aircraft with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability," continued the colonel deployed from Fort McNair, D.C. "With the bombs on the aircraft that the loaders enable, all of a sudden, I've got a sting that can be delivered to the enemy."
There are essentially three jobs weapons loaders perform: loading of munitions, end-of-runway inspection and armament maintenance.
As far as weapons loading and EOR inspections, weapons loaders work in teams of three in order to provide backup, safety and assistance. Each member has their own set of responsibilities.
"In weapons loading, we have one person who is essentially the NCO who has the checklist and informs the team of all the necessary information including safety requirements. They oversee everything, and if anything goes wrong, the team goes to them," said Senior Airman Nadja Answorth, a 332nd EAMXS weapons loader.
"The 'two' person is responsible for preparing the station we are about to load onto," continued the native of Puyallup, Wash., deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. "The 'three' person, which is what I am, is responsible for making sure the munitions are safe and that they match mission requirements. I also drive an MJ-1, or a bomb lift, to lift the weapons up for the attachment to the aircraft."
Weapons loaders working EOR are responsible for getting that last good look-over to ensure nothing is wrong, and make sure the bombs are actually going to drop if needed, Airman Answorth said.
"Loaders pull the safety pins and perform final checks before the aircraft flies its mission," said Tech. Sgt. Brett Kitzman, a 332nd EAMXS weapons loader from Aurora, Colo. He is deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.
Not all weapons loaders are outside in the heat loading munitions. Some work in the armament section performing maintenance and inspections.
"Loaders here in the armament backshop perform scheduled maintenance on anything that a bomb or missile touches," said Staff Sgt. Eduardo Sera, a 332nd EAMXS weapons loader and armament systems journeyman. "Everything gets inspected, but we do not deal with the munitions themselves -- only equipment the munitions touch."
All equipment that is used to hold the bombs to the aircraft, mechanically or electrically, comes here for maintenance and inspections, continued the native of West Covina, Calif., deployed from Spangdahlem AB. There are 90-day, annual, bi-annual and 18-month inspections to maintain serviceability; it all depends on what type of suspension system the equipment has.
Airman Answorth said she has been a weapons loader for three years, and she loves it.
"It gives you a sense of accomplishment, especially when you come downrange and actually get to see what you've been practicing for at home-station," she said. "When you hear the jet take off, there is a sense of pride. When you see that afterburner kick in, you know that jet is armed with your munitions, and it gives you a great feeling knowing you did your job right."
"(Weapons loaders) take a lot of pride in making sure everything works perfectly," Colonel Oaks said. "They have done superbly."
"Day in and day out, over the last year, we've flown approximately 26,000 combat missions, and we have about a 99 percent mission effectiveness and that is great by anyone's methods," Colonel Oaks said. "We take a lot of pride in being able to provide safe, reliable weapons for the aircraft and the pilots flying the combat missions."
