Airmen give 'Warthogs' bite

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  In a war zone, two elements make the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, unsurpassed in its close-air support mission.

The first is speed. Its slow speed allows it to loiter in an area for long periods of time. The second is weaponry -- A-10s pack a wide variety of munitions giving them a deadly bite.

The Airmen who load those munitions and maintain the weapons system are well aware of how important their job is here.

“We’re doing it for real here,” said Airman 1st Class Jason Moreland, a 354th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load team member.

The job is more than just loading munitions on the aircraft, said Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Kibodeaux, another 354th EAMXS load team member. The team also maintains the aircraft’s weapons systems, troubleshooting problems, performing function checks and rebuilding systems during phase maintenance.

“We make sure the munitions come off the aircraft correctly,” Sergeant Kibodeaux said. “We make sure the release systems work. Whether or not they blow up when they hit, though, that’s another organization’s mission.”

The biggest difference between operations here and at home is the type of munitions loaded.

“You don’t load any munitions with blue stripes (indicating that it is a training munition),” Airman Moreland said.

“Knowing you are loading live munitions definitely gets the blood pumping,” Sergeant Kibodeaux said.

Safety is a key element of loading munitions, and the Airmen here were trained correctly at home, Airman Moreland said.

“We are evaluated every month at home to make sure we are doing everything safely and correctly,” he said.

A big part of safety is ensuring the munitions are serviceable and ready to load on the aircraft.

“We make sure all the hardware works and make sure the weapon is safe before loading,” said Airman 1st Class Stacy Wilson, another 354th EAMXS weapons load team member.

“Once we start loading, it’s important to stay grounded,” Sergeant Kibodeaux said. “You don’t want a static charge to affect the weapon.”

The weapons load team’s job does not stop once the weapons are loaded on the plane, he said. The Airmen are part of the team who make sure the weapons are live just before the aircraft takes off.

“We go out and pull the pins on the aircraft at end of runway and put them back in when the aircraft returns,” Sergeant Kibodeaux said. “That can be the scary part.”

One of the most enjoyable parts of the job is loading the 30 mm Avenger cannon -- the key to the Warthog’s lethality.

“You are constantly on the move when loading the shells,” Airman Moreland said.

On the other hand, when that cannon has maintenance problems, it can be “a pain in the butt,” Sergeant Kibodeaux said. “It can be working well one minute and be broken the next.”

The load crews here have replaced four A-10 cannons in their six-month tour -- one time they had to replace the entire weapon, including the harness that makes the gun function. It took two crews a total of two days to make those repairs, Airman Wilson said.

No matter the hardships, though, the Airmen said the best part of their job is the feeling they get when the plane comes back with no bombs on it.

“You know you are doing your job right,” Airman Wilson said. “You feel like you’re accomplishing something.”