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AMMO keeps heartbeat

  • Published
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  While many Team Shaw members are sound asleep, some Airmen must continue to keep the heart of the base beating with 24-hour operations.

The 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron is one of many squadrons that work throughout the night.

During a recent shift, precision guided munition crew chiefs from the 20th EMS replaced a cable on an AGM-88, high-speed anti-radiation missile, which enabled the pilot and missile to communicate.

“It’s really important for the pilot to be able to communicate with the missile because we have the suppression of enemy air defense mission here,” Airman 1st Class Mario Agundez, 20th EMS PGM crew chief. “Training is a big part of our mission so when the pilot gets out there they know how the missile is supposed to act, and what they’re supposed to hear and see.”

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the only aircraft in the Air Force currently using the AGM-88 missile. The missile is an air-to-surface tactical missile designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defense systems.

“There are different types of AGM-88 missiles,” said Senior Airman Allen Jenlink, 20th EMS PGM crew chief. “Some are better at honing in on targets than others, which makes them more lethal.”

All of Team Shaw members play a vital role in keeping the heart of the base beating 365 days a year, 7 days a week and 24-hours a day.