From the starting point of a fixed position of attention, three weapons load crews at Eglin Air Force Base blasted into action to begin the first Team Eglin loadcrew competition here, March 18.
The teams from the 33rd Fighter Wing and the 96th Test Wing flew to their respective aircraft to begin their checks, procedures and prepare two AIM-120 missiles for loading. The scene was of controlled chaos with nine Airmen moving in various directions yelling out commands and completions. Evaluators followed on their heels scrutinizing each wrench turn and jammer lift.
When the load was done, missiles locked and evaluations complete, the 33rd FW’s F-35 Lightning II loadcrew claimed victory at the initial competition. Only 17 points separated the 33rd FW’s team from the 96th TW’s F-15 and F-16 crews.
“This is a celebration of what you do as aircraft maintainers and specifically as weapons crews,” said Lt. Col. Roddrick Webb, 33rd Maintenance Group deputy commander, to the three teams. “The standards you uphold every day are what allow us to put warheads on foreheads.”
The weapons handling procedures are similar for all three teams, but the actual loading is completely different. The 33rd FW Airmen are required to squeeze into the enclosure in the belly of the aircraft to prepare and load the weapons internally. The 96th TW has more space, but farther to travel to load the missiles on opposite wings.
“I’m surprised we won, because with the F-35s internal load capability, we have a lot less room to work with compared to the F-15 and F-16s external capability,” said Staff Sgt. Mario Alba, the winning weapons load crew chief. “Being the first F-35 weapons load crew on Eglin AFB to go up against older generation fighter aircraft and winning the competition was a real honor.”
The competition just seemed logical once the 33rd FW began weapons load operations on their aircraft, according to Col. Eric North, 96th Maintenance Group commander.
“Weapons loaders just love to compete,” he said. “We felt it would be a great way to bring these teams together and share in some quality competition. The stakes are higher. We’re not just competing within our own wing anymore. The teams are vying to be the ‘Team Eglin winners.'”
Although the 33rd FW claimed the loadcrew portion, the 96th won the jammer jamboree competition. Each wing’s maintenance leadership team drove a jammer, the vehicle used to load weapons, forward and backward through an obstacle course. The team with the best overall time and fewest mistakes won.
A weapons-laden, four-foot trophy was created for the new contest and will be housed with the winning wing until the competition next year.
“My crew and I trained hard and gave 100 percent and we were obviously very pleased with the outcome of our efforts,” said Alba. “I went in with this weight on my shoulders that I couldn’t let the F-35 be outshone by older model fighters. My team and I proved the future for fighter aircraft is here and we, as weapons loaders for this next generation aircraft, are only going to get better. I hope I get the opportunity to do it again sometime.”
Article by Samuel King Jr., Team Eglin Public Affairs
Photo: (above) Staff Sgt. Tyler Marking, 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit Red, prepares an AIM-120 missile to be moved and loaded onto an F-15 Eagle March 18 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The timed load was part of the first-ever Team Eglin weapons load competition pitting the 33rd Fighter Wing against the 96th Test Wing. The 33rd FW won the first of what is to become a yearly competition. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
