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Weapons load competition pits Reserve units in 'virtual loadeo'

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Wendy Lopedote
  • 916th Air Refueling Wing
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  As they maneuvered hefty missiles and bombs into position under the wing of an F-15E Strike Eagle, a three-man weapons load team from the 414th Maintenance Squadron had trouble seeing the other teams they were pitted against during a weapons load competition March 22, 2012.

From the weapons load barn here, they couldn't see the other weapons load teams who were 825 miles away at Homestead AFB, Fla. loading similar munitions onto the F-16C Fighting Falcons of the 482nd Fighter Wing, the 414th's parent wing.

In this first ever "virtual loadeo" between the two Reserve units, teams earned points by how quickly and properly they load weapons onto the aircraft.

"We had 47 minutes to do the load in," said Tech. Sgt. Brett L. Tillison, team chief of the 414th weapons load team. "We were at 18 minutes after the second missile -- that's pretty good."
A quick time was only part of the grade however.

Tillison, along with fellow team members Master Sgt. Bobby W. Powell and Senior Airman Thomas R. Snyder, each took a 20-question written test on basic munitions knowledge in addition to doing the actual weapons load itself. Each man's uniform was scrutinized by the judges, as was the team's toolbox. Any discrepancies were deducted from the final score.

Weapons load specialists from the active duty's 4th Fighter Wing here served as judges for the 414th team.

Waiting for the results may be harder than the competition though. Scoring isn't immediate as judges have several categories and criteria to pore over. With scores being tallied down at Homestead as well, the results may not be known for a couple of weeks.

"We won't know any of that information until later, but I feel pretty good about it," said Tillison.

Pretty good for a team which had very little time to prepare.

Unlike active duty weapons loaders who may have months in advance to practice for a competition, the 414th team had almost no notice, said Senior Master Sgt. Matthew T. Groves, 414th MXS weapons flight chief.

"These guys had only run through it together one other time and that was yesterday," he said. "So, for three guys who hadn't worked together as a team, they did really well."

Grove said these competitions not only foster friendly rivalries; they provide valuable training as well. With increased participation comes increased experience, he said.

Their active duty counterparts at the 4th FW hold weapons load crew competitions several times a year. The 414th looks forward to becoming more involved in those competitions as the fledging unit's manning increases."We would love to be able to participate with the 4th FW in their quarterly load crew competitions," said Groves. "Hopefully as we get more people, we can make that happen."