Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ridge Shan

An ammunitions maintainer from the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron prepares to assemble a bomb June 6, 2018, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The 56th EMS is preparing to send a 10-man team of ammo maintainers to compete in the first ever Air Force Combat Munitions competition, taking place June 11-14, 2018, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.

Members of the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions flight at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., have formed a team to compete in the first ever Air Force Combat Munitions competition, taking place June 11-14, 2018, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.

The competition will challenge seven teams of ammo maintainers from bases around the world to compete in various tasks that simulate the range of activities required in live combat munitions operations.

“There are multiple different sections in the ammo career field,” said Master Sgt. Johnathan Keehart, 56th EMS munitions control noncommissioned officer in charge and competition team leader. “The competition will focus on several of those aspects, particularly storage, inspection, and conventional weapons. We’ll setup a munitions assembly conveyor, build and assemble bombs, and inspect an inventory for discrepancies.”

Each team is allowed a maximum of 10 members with a limit on the number of individuals who meet certain skill-levels. The members of Luke’s team were nominated by their respective sections in the munitions flight based on their strong work ethic and high level of competency.

“There are a lot of people from different shops on our team who both know bombs, and also bring with them special knowledge that will help us throughout the competition,” said Senior Airman Corey Keleher, 56th EMS conventional weapons crew chief and competition team member. “For example, one of our guys is an inspector, which will help us in the inspection challenge.”

Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ridge Shan

Senior Airman Corey Keleher, 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron conventional weapons crew chief, assembles bomb-building equipment during a practice for the Air Force Combat Munitions competition June 6, 2018, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The AFCO comp, taking place June 11-14, 2018, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., will pit seven teams of ammo maintainers from bases around the world against each other in challenges that simulate the tasks required of them in combat operations.

Luke’s team has trained daily since their formation in February.

“The training has been really beneficial,” Keleher said. “We don’t always get to build the specific bombs being used for the competition, so when we’re practicing our speed and efficiency, we also get to take a step back and really learn new things.”

In addition to preparing them for the competition, their practice is reinforcing important operational skills, which will allow them to uniquely excel as functional technical experts.

“A lot of times in our career field, when you get to a work center, you’re stuck in your area for quite a while,” Keehart said. “You get really good at one job, but your knowledge becomes kind of limited. This competition helps to bring a lot of different ammo maintainers together. We have one member of the team who has been in the job for eight months, but because of how extensively we’ve been training, she knows how to build these bombs and setup the munitions assembly conveyor better than some people who have been in six, seven, or eight years.”

The team is optimistic about their chances, and fully intend to impress their ammo peers come game day.

“There’s going to be a lot of stiff competition from every single one of the other bases,” Keehart said. “Each base is bringing their own aspect to the table. At the end of the day, I believe everyone is going to build very fast and it’s going to come down to who has the least amount of discrepancies. It’s going to be about attention to detail, and I think we’re going to do very well.”
 

Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ridge Shan

Air Force Combat Munitions competition team members from the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions flight setup bomb assembly utilities during a practice run June 6, 2018, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Challenges for the competition include munitions assembly conveyor setup, bomb-building, and inventory inspection.

Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ridge Shan

Members of the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions flight setup bomb assembly utilities June 6, 2018, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Members of Luke’s team for the Air Force Combat Munitions competition, taking place June 11-14, 2018, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., were selected from among the different sections of the munitions flight based on merit, ability, and diversity of skillset.