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Load crews face off in quarterly competition

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Robert Neu, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), 79th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU) load crew member, inspects fuses on an inert GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition while Senior Airman Carina Cabello, 20th AMXS, 79th AMU load crew member, observes at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jan. 12, 2018. Cabello recorded Neu’s actions to score the 79th AMU’s performance during the Load Crew of the Quarter competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Ingold)

Load crews face off in quarterly competition

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 55th Maintenance Unit, load a GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition during the Load Crew of the Quarter competition at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jan. 12, 2018. The 55th AMU load crew members were judged for their ability to safely load the designated armaments on an F-16CM Fighting Falcon. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Ingold)

Load crews face off in quarterly competition

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, load an F-16CM Fighting Falcon rocket pod with training munitions during the Load Crew of the Quarter competition at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jan. 12, 2018. The F-16 has rocket pods to provide close-air support to supplement its suppression of enemy air defenses mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Ingold)

Load crews face off in quarterly competition

Published Jan. 18, 2018
By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Ingold
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – Weapons load crew members from the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron faced off in an F-16CM Fighting Falcon munitions loading competition at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, Jan. 12.

The 79th Aircraft Maintenance Unit load crew consisted of Staff Sgt. Michael Finney, Airman 1st Class Rashida Cutts and Airman 1st Class Robert Neu. The 55th AMU was represented by Staff Sgt. Demario Reid, Senior Airman Antoni Guarano and Airman 1st Class Jacob Langston.

The teams competed for the fourth quarter Weapons Load Crew of the Quarter Award as a way to bring the weapons community together in celebration of completing another quarter of loading.

“We are out here to celebrate the weapons community and for a competition between the two best crews right now,” said Tech. Sgt. Jason Trowborst, 20th Maintenance Group weapons standardization weapons academics instructor. “It is an opportunity for the weapons community to get together and recognize the top load crews.”

Each load crew is determined by job performance over the past quarter and the top two will compete against each other. The winning quarterly team qualifies for the Load Crew of the Year competition.

“We had the highest load stats for the quarter, so we were hand-selected to come out here to represent our shop,” said Finney. “We’re going against the Shooters (55th AMU). Hopefully, we can bring this home for the win and then go for Load Crew of the Year”

After 20 minutes of loading the two teams finished with their jets. The judges examined their work and noted any mistakes made during the competition. After tallying the totals, a winner was chosen.

The 79th AMU won the Weapons Load Crew of the Quarter Award and punched their ticket to test their skills in the upcoming Weapons Load Crew of the Year competition. They will face winners from the previous quarters to determine who earn the title.