For munitions troops, business is booming

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Nieves Camacho
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Operation INHERENT RESOLVE’s increasing demand for firepower during ongoing missions against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant keeps business booming for munitions troops.

Airmen deployed from the 124th Fighter Wing, Idaho Air National Guard work around the clock as part of the 447th Air Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron to supply munitions for the fight against Da’esh, the common Arabic term for ISIL.

“Our mission is to receive, inspect, build, store, and deliver munition assets for all air activities here,” said Tech. Sgt. John Winn, 447th AEMXS conventional maintenance NCO in-charge. “We support other tenant units that are here and supply all the munitions ordnance for the A-10 and their missions in OIR.”

On October 15, 2014, the United States Department of Defense designated U.S. and coalition operations as “Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.” According to U.S. Central Command, the name INHERENT RESOLVE “is intended to reflect the unwavering resolve and deep commitment of the U.S. and partner nations in the region and around the globe to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community.”

Winn said it’s important that their team does everything right and safely avoid potential mishaps.

“Munitions are kind of volatile, so you want to make sure they are always functional and safe,” said Winn. “That’s our biggest thing here; safety. We want to make sure that nothing is going to go wrong, that the items we are using are serviceable, and that it will fulfill its mission. If we have troops on the ground and we drop a bomb that doesn't go off, lives could potentially be at risk.”

When it comes to munitions, the conventional maintenance section performs different types of inspections, such as receiving inspections, to make sure items came from the manufacturer intact, and pre-use inspections, where munitions get hooked to computer systems ensuring the on-board software is functioning properly.

“The work ethic here is cohesive and everyone knows what to do,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Danielson, 447th AEMXS munitions systems specialist. “Building bombs is not a tasking for a single person, it takes a team; individuals who inspect and make sure all the fuses are serviceable, inspect the tail kits, and all the other assets. Without each individual playing their very crucial role, this job wouldn’t get done.”

There is a thin margin of error when it comes to bomb building. These Airmen rely on each other and their training received at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, to assemble and process munitions.

“It’s really beneficial knowing that what we're doing here is the real thing,” said Winn. “We are saving lives and making an impact in the fight. It’s gratifying to hear the strike numbers that come out and see how much of an impact we've had against ISIS.”

According to Winn, the Airmen trained a lot prior to arrival in preparation for the operations they would conduct.

 

“We trained building just about every kind of bomb we could possibly imagine,” said Winn. “We are building a couple of things that are different and are trying new things here. These guys have adapted and overcame and I’m just really proud of them, they have done a great job.”

Before transferring to the Air National Guard, Winn served 11 years on active duty as a munitions troop. Winn said it means a lot to him to be able to give back to his peers.

“Being prior active duty in this career field I'm able to instill a lot of my own experience and guidance that I've learned throughout the years and train the next up and coming Airmen.,” said Winn. “To have them have this experience in OIR, a real world experience where they are able to build live bombs and support a mission like this, that's what I take most from this.”

Winn said that without the weapons and ammunition to put on hostile targets, the aircrew can only gather intelligence.

“If we are not doing our job, the pilots can't do theirs,” said Winn. “Without ammo, the Air Force is just the world's largest airliner. It’s really important to us to make sure we are giving them fully capable weapons to detonate on target.”

The actions of munitions troops directly contribute to combined OIR accomplishments. For example, from July 24 – 30, coalition forces conducted 159 strikes and damaged or destroyed 485 targets in Syria and Iraq.