35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airman 1st Class Robert Flowers-Velasquez, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, ensures a Guided Bomb Unit-12 is properly placed using an MJ-1 lift truck April 29. The MJ-1, also called a "jammer," is used to load and unload a wide variety of munitions and has a lifting capacity of 3,000 pounds. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown/Released)

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35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Senior Airman Jacob Wilbanks, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, secures a Guided Bomb Unit-12 onto an F-16 pylon April 29. The teams total score will be compared against the 13 AMU's total socre to determine the winner. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown/Released)

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35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airman 1st Class Robert Flowers-Velaquez, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, safety wires a Guided Bomb Unit-12 April 29. Each competing team starts with 2000 points and the winner is determined by total points, not the time it takes to complete the load. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown/Released)

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35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Staff Sgt. Mark Drennen, front, and Airman 1st Class Robert Flowers-Velaquez, 35th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew members, secures a Guided Bomb Unit-12 onto a pylon April 29. Each team was evaluated on their ability to properly load a GBU-12 and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown/Released)

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$MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airman 1st Class Robert Flowers-Velasquez, left, Staff Sgt. Mark Drennen, center, and Senior Airman Jacob Wilbanks, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew members, move an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile April 29. The 14 AMU won the competition with a total of 1,800 points. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown\Released)$

35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airman 1st Class Robert Flowers-Velasquez, left, Staff Sgt. Mark Drennen, center, and Senior Airman Jacob Wilbanks, 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew members, move an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile April 29. The 14 AMU won the competition with a total of 1,800 points. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown\Released)

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35 AMXS races against time during load crew competition

Published May 2, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Marie Brown
35 FW/PA

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- A three-man weapons load crew team competed in a load crew of the quarter competition April 29. Members of the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron competed for the title of the best load crew on the base. The 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit competed against the 13 AMU who is currently deployed to Balad, Iraq.

A weapons load competition is a race against the clock where Airmen are evaluated on loading proficiency, reliability, safety, and timeliness.

"Load competitions promote a sense of pride in our trade, esprit de corps, and it also gives bragging rights to the best load crew on the base," said Master Sgt. Andre Collier, 35th Maintenance Group, weapons standardization NCO in charge.