Before the competition

U.S Air Force weapons standardization Airmen with the 35th Maintenance Group, conduct a composite tool inspection before the annual Maintenance Professional of the Year load crew competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 8, 2016. For the competition, weapon standardization Airmen grade load crews on four categories: loading munitions, a written-test assessment, dress and appearance and a composite tool inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Preparing to load munitions

U.S Air Force Senior Airman David Pickett, a weapons standardization lead crew member with the 35th Maintenance Group, observes Senior Airman Donald Ramsey, a load crew member with 35th Aircraft maintenance Squadron, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, as he prepares to load a weapons system during the annual Maintenance Professional of the Year load crew competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 8, 2016. Pickett’s job was to ensure the Airmen were safely and properly loading munitions. Each of the teams being graded were given a set number of points and then docked for any discrepancies the weapons standardization Airmen observed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
timing MOPP up

U.S Air Force Senior Airman Kaitlyn McKenzie, a weapons standardization lead crew member with the 35th Maintenance Group, times Senior Airman Brent Gibson, a load crew member from the 35th Aircraft maintenance Squadron, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, as he puts on his mission-oriented protective posture gear during the annual Maintenance Professional of the Year load crew competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 8, 2016. The objective of the weapons load crew competition was to gauge how quickly and efficiently each team was able to arm an F-16 Fighting Falcon. Each of the teams being graded were given a set number of points and then docked for any discrepancies the weapons standardization Airmen observed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
MOPP up

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaitlyn McKenzie, a weapons standardization lead crew member, and Tech. Sgt. Gregorio Luis, weapons standardization load standardization crew member, both with the 35th Maintenance Group, watch load crew Airmen with the 35th Aircraft maintenance Squadron, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, perform a buddy check on their mission-oriented protective posture gear during the annual Maintenance Professional of the Year load crew competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 8, 2016. Each of the teams being graded were given a set number of points and then were docked for any discrepancies the weapons standardization Airmen observed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S Air Force Senior Airman David Pickett, a weapons standardization lead crew member with the 35th Maintenance Group, watches as Staff Sgt. Nathan Hadama, a weapons team chief with the 35th Aircraft maintenance Squadron, 13th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, dismisses his team during the annual Maintenance Professional of the Year load crew competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 8, 2016. Although the load crew Airmen from the 13th AMU finished first during the competition, the official results will not be announced until the end of March. To determine the winning team, Airmen from weapons standardization will tally all discrepancies each team had from four categories including: loading munitions, a test assessment, dress and appearance and a composite tool inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Maintenance Airmen compete in annual weapons load competition

Published Jan. 11, 2016
By Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen from the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 13th and 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit competed in the annual weapons load crew competition here, Jan. 8.

The two teams, composed of three Airmen, raced against the clock, and each other, to arm an F-16 Fighting Falcon with one AIM-9 Sidewinder, a short-range air-to-air missile, one AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile and a Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU 31 (v) 3/B. Both quality and speed were judged by weapons standardization Airmen from the 35th Maintenance Group during the competition.

Although the 13th AMU team finished first, both load crew competitors are graded on four categories: loading munitions, a test assessment, dress and appearance and a composite tool inspection. The team with the fewest discrepancies will be crowned the winner at this year's Military Professional of the Year ceremony being held sometime in March or April.

Before the competition

Preparing to load munitions

timing MOPP up

MOPP up