Munitions Systems Specialists Arm The ‘Ultimate Battle Plane’

By Tactical-Life

The following is a release from Senior Airman Jeff Parkinson, 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs:

Without the munitions systems specialists of the 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron, the AC-130U Spooky would have difficulty completing its close air support mission, to include supporting troops in contact, convoy escort and single point air defense.

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Airmen of the 1st SOEMS munitions flight are responsible for every step in between shipping and receiving, to testing and assembling guided and unguided non-nuclear munitions for the Spooky payload. They are also responsible for issue and delivery, storing, maintaining, and reconditioning these munitions to support the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Force mission.

“I’d say we process an average of 30,000 rounds per week,” said Senior Airman Alexander Bien, a 1st SOEMS conventional maintenance crew chief. “Every 25mm load is a thousand pounds, and that’s not accounting for the 40mm or the 105mm.”

It all starts with the 1st SOEMS munitions controllers, the liaisons between the organizations requesting the ammo and the Airmen within the munitions storage areas that maintain it.

Munitions controllers work with about 100 people …read more

Source:: Tactical Life