Bagram Airmen build bombs

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Building up flares and guided bombs is all in a day’s work for ammunitions troops here, as it is for conventional munitions technicians throughout the region.

Being assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ammunitions unit is about keeping the munitions supply lines flowing, officials said. “Ammo” Airmen work around the clock daily to keep the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs here stocked with the powerful payload that convinces insurgents to think twice about attacking U.S. and coalition ground troops.

Working such real-world missions with about half of the manning ammo units typically function with at home station means that they must work twice as hard.

“Every person here counts for two people and each of us must think ahead to maintain a clean safety record and stay ahead of demands,” said Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Adams, unit superintendent deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

What makes being deployed here special is that there is a high sense of purpose, said Tech. Sgt. David Hamilton, conventional munitions crew member.

“Back at home Airmen are assigned to specific shops, but here troops experience all aspects of the job,” said the Airman deployed from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. “We also have a higher sense of purpose. At home, we practice doing what we actually execute as part of the daily mission here.”

Accuracy is the highest calling for ammo units. Maintaining 100 percent accountability of every munition is not optional -- it is mandatory. Following instructions down to the most minute detail is one step in minimizing collateral damage when pilots must pull the trigger, he said.

“We check and recheck every munition to ensure that it will land on target,” Sergeant Hamilton said. “When we see an A-10 return without its bombs, it’s pretty cool because we know it was used for a good purpose.”

At times it gets tough, especially when the monotony takes hold, but thinking about family and their support helps ammo troops stay on target themselves, Airman 1st Class Daniel Sewell said. The equipment maintainer’s father is a fireman who assisted in the initial cleanup of the former site of the World Trade Center in New York.

“He’s very supportive of my job here,” said the Airman deployed from Spangdahlem AB. “(My job) isn’t glamorous, but it’s important -- without ammo, (Bagram) would just be an airport.”