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BULLSEYE
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From bullets to bombs, Ammo Airmen
‘bring the bang’ to RPA firepower
By Airman 1st Class Kristan Campbell
432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs Staff Sgt. Anthony, 432nd Maintenance Squadron munitions flight crew chief, holds
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.
— Down a long, winding road that
leads far away from the f light line ex-
ists a world all its own at Creech Air
Force Base, Nevada.
It’s a world behind fences, check-
points and personnel and secures the
most dangerous ordnances on base.
For approximately 60 Airmen of the
432nd Maintenance Squadron’s muni-
tions flight, this is where they work
every day, supplying remotely piloted
aircraft with the weapons needed to
project conventional airpower.
“Without ammo, Creech wouldn’t
be able to do its part in enabling global
RPA strike operations,” said Senior
Master Sgt. Barry, 432nd MXS muni-
tions flight chief. “My unit is made
up of some very strong and motivated
Airmen, we’re a team. We get the job
done, so that other Air Force Specialty
Codes can have what they need to do
their part.”
Of course, these Airmen aren’t all
about building bombs. The flight stays
busy managing production, materials,
systems, and surveillance of assets, as
well preparing many different types
of munitions used to support global
contingency operations.
These assets are used by various
commands such as Combat Arms
Training and Maintenance, 799th
Security Forces personnel, 99th Civil
Engineer Squadron explosive ord-
nance disposal, and many others,
aside from supplying training units
for the MQ-1 and MQ-9 RPAs.
“We don’t just put bombs together,
we supply [the RPA enterprise and sis-
ter] services on base with ammo, even
ordnance disposal out at Nellis,” said
Master Sgt. Chris, 432nd MXS muni-
tions flight production section chief.
“When other services participate in
joint task exercises, we provide all the
ammunition.”
Ammo troops work hard to get the
right materials into the right hands.
With the wide scope of responsibili-
ties, the work can be challenging, but
the Airmen are up for any task thanks
to exceptional leadership, training and
camaraderie found within the unit.
Ammo supplies firepower not only
to Creech, but to every contingency
the United States has ever engaged.
The big picture
In conjunction with intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance
needs of joint combatant command-
ers, strike capabilities are also in avid
Feature
a GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb steady as Senior Airman Joseph, 432nd MXS
munitions flight conventional munitions inspector secures a part to the bomb March
1 at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The ammo Airmen stay busy preparing many different
types of munitions used to support global contingency operations, as well as managing
production, materials, systems, and surveillance of munitions assets.
demand. To continue saving the lives
of military men and women serving
downrange, these munitions sup-
plying the weapons that enable these
missions.
“What the Airmen are doing af-
fects the entire world,” said 2nd Lt.
Luke, officer in charge of the 432nd
MXS munitions flight. “We support a
number of missions at home and pro-
vide manpower downrange. Without
ammo, RPA’s can do surveillance but
they can’t take on the enemy.”
Inside the Munitions Flight
Bomb building is no easy task. There
are seven functional areas within the
unit which collectively oversee and
account for $14 million in assets. This
amount equals roughly two million
munitions and about 70,000 pounds
of explosive weight.
Each section within the 432nd
munitions flight is responsible for
production, operations, equipment
maintenance, systems accountability,
materials, stockpile surveillance and
additional support. The unit supplies
a 24 hour, seven days a week munitions
capability to the joint combatant com-
manders.
These sections maintain the trailers
used to transfer munitions, keeping
track of every missile and bomb, main-
tain inventories, inspect the facilities ammo Airmen must complete their
and munitions, store conventional war-
fare, and maintain security of the area. This includes on the job training in
At any given point in time, approxi-
mately 10-15 percent of Airmen are
deployed from the flight in support
5March 11, 2016
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U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kristan Campbell “Each of our Airmen should to be
a jack-of-all trades,” said Master Sgt.
Dan, 432nd MXS munitions flight ac-
countability systems officer. “Training
in different sections helps them fit into
the big picture, and that’s the kind of
ammo troop the Air Force needs.”
As a testament of the outstanding
of contingency operations downrange training received by the flight, six Air-
while still supporting home station men recently scored above a 90 percent
operations. on their end of course exams placing
them one step closer to achieving a
“We’ve been down to as few as 35 5-skill level in ammo, allowing them
Airmen before, working at home sta- to become “craftsmen” in their jobs.
tion,” said Master Sgt. Mike, 432nd
MXS munitions flight systems sections From there, Ammo troops can
chief. “Doing more with less is some- continue to progress in their career
thing that we’ve adapted to.” field and move up into bigger roles of
responsibility.
The flight recently prepared and
shipped 60 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles Camaraderie within the unit
in only a 24 hour time period, and In addition to building munitions
significantly eased a critical shortage that provide the combatant command-
throughout the area of responsibility. ers with RPAs multi-role capabilities,
camaraderie sets Creech Ammo in a
Training fit to fight Airmen class of its own. Spending more than
According to leadership, the amount 40 hours a week working, training,
of care put into training ammo troops performing PT together, eating meals
is second to none. Before Airmen are and being geographically separated
ever allowed to touch a munition, they means intimacy only ammo troops
are put through a rigorous eight-week will tell you.
course in technical school at Sheppard “Ammo is really just one big family,”
Air Force Base, Texas. Once out of tech said Karen. “Since we’re so far away
school, Airmen hit the ground running from the rest of base, it’s like we’re in a
at their first base. different world. We respect each other
“We take Airmen fresh out of tech and we’re there for each other. It doesn’t
school, and we shape them into ca- really get much better than that.”
pable ammo troops so that by the time Airmen from the production section
they leave to another base, they have work closely together during bomb
everything they need to be successful builds to ensure that all parts are
in their careers and personal growth,” properly built before being moved to
Mike said. the flight line. Supervisor’s work side
After training at Sheppard AFB, by side with their Airmen to provide
guidance at a pace that is both consis-
career development courses (CDC’s). tent and fun, while also keeping safety
at the forefront.
tasks such as stockpile accountablity, “It’s important for my Airmen to
quality control, planning, managing know that we’re here every step of the
work orders and running the support way,” said Staff Sgt. Adam, 432nd MXS
sections inside the unit. munitions flight crew chief. “We can
joke and have fun while we’re build-
ing bombs or missiles, while we’re still
taking our job seriously and getting it
done.”
It’s this combination of training,
dedication, and esprit de corps within
the unit that keeps the ammo flight go-
ing. Without them, the RPAs wouldn’t
have the ability to provide their wide
range of mission sets.
The 432nd MXS ammo flight keeps
the ground troops safe by enabling
abilities such as close-air support,
reconnaissance and precision engage-
ment. By keeping them safe, enemies
are eliminated from the battlefield, and
Americans and coalition partners can
return home to their families.