Warbirds take second place in load comp

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Wesley Wright
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Warbirds from the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here found out March 4 they took second place for non-conventional weapons loading during a weapons loading competition held here Feb. 2 to 3.

The competition featured the best load crews from five bomber bases, and is part of Giant Sword II, which is a weapons loading and security forces competition sponsored by the Eighth Air Force.

For Minot's portion of the competition, load crews underwent a 25-question written test, a dress and appearance inspection, and a timed load of conventional and non-conventional weapons onto a B-52H Stratofortress.

"We had a feeling we did pretty good," said. Tech. Sgt. Jason Maberry, 5th AMXS weapons load team chief. "You could tell everybody was pretty hyped for the announcement. They did it kind of like a pageant, announcing the worst to best. When your name doesn't get called in the first three, you know you're in the top two. The first thing the nuclear team chief did was get on his cell phone and let everyone back here know."

Airman 1st Class Brady Fender, 5th AMXS weapons armament specialist, was also happy at the news and already has his sights set on next year's competition.

"We felt overall that we did very well," Airman Fender said. "We're happy with second place, but the way I see it we are the best because we have to work out here in these harsh conditions. We're working in -65 degree weather, so I think it puts us above the rest. Next year, we're coming in first place!"

The load competitions go back almost to the very beginning of the Air Force. The Strategic Air Command was activated in 1946 and during its formative years of 1946 and 1947, faced multiple administrative, manning and material challenges (i.e. shortages). Because of these challenges, the command did not devote much time to bombing practice. As a consequence, bombing accuracy fell below desired standards.

As a way to motivate crews and for units to improve their bombing accuracy, the commander of SAC, General George C. Kenney, initiated a bombing tournament, later designated as the SAC Bombing Competition. The name would be changed again to the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition, or "Bomb Comp" for short.

As part of the overall competition, two of AMXS's Warbirds also won Best Nuclear Crew Chief Team. The honors went to Staff Sgt. Christopher Truelove and Senior Airman James Regan.

"I'm real proud of my team," said Lt. Col. Patrick Ballard, 5th AMXS commander. "I thought this was an exciting opportunity for our people to compete and show what we can do. The talent on the team is such that I had every faith they would perform very well and they have."

While ecstatic at receiving accolades from Eighth AF, the winning Warbirds don't plan to rest on their laurels.

"The accomplishment in itself is great," Sergeant Maberry said. "This competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. We know now what to do to get ready for next year. Dyess AFB, [Texas] won this year but they better look out for next year!"