An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, takes off. (U.S. Air Force photo by Anthony Pham)

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419th team wins first-ever 10 AF load competition

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jaimi L. Upthegrove
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  A team of reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing took away top honors in the first-ever 10th Air Force F-16 weapons loading competition here Feb. 18-19.

Tech. Sgt. Bryan Wicker, Tech. Sgt. Michael Young, and Senior Airman Jonathan Thorsted outscored competitors from the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, and the host 482nd Fighter Wing in dress and personal appearance, a general knowledge test, and the competitive munitions load.

"All three crews represented their units proudly and professionally," Tech. Sgt. Branden Paddock, 495th Fighter Group, Detachment 93 here, lead standardization crew member. "They are the best of the best at what they do and they certainly showed it during the competition."

The history of weapons loading competitions in the Air Force dates back before the Korean War. Senior Master Sgt. Derrick Chesley, 10th AF armament superintendent, said speed is definitely a factor, though loading munitions correctly is extremely important, which is why safety and reliability errors play a large role in the overall scoring.

"If munitions are not loaded correctly, they may not hit the intended target," said Chesley. "When you're aiming at a specific target, the munitions must be loaded correctly to reduce collateral damage and to provide the intended result."

All three 10th AF units are fully combat-ready units capable of providing F-16C multi-purpose fighter aircraft, along with mission ready pilots and support personnel, for short-notice worldwide deployment. These competitions are one way that Airmen perfect their skills to be able to achieve their mission in a deployed location.

Team members from the 419th FW also received individual honors during the awards ceremony: Wicker earned the highest score on the written test and Thorsted took home the Sharpest Uniform Award.

"These load competitions showcase the dedication and professionalism required of weapons troops Air Force-wide in the unique task of handling of live munitions," said Paddock. "Their ability to consistently execute their job under pressure keeps our country safe and our enemies fearful."

The 419th load crew recently won a quarterly competition at Hill AFB against their active-duty counterparts in the 388th Fighter Wing.

The 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office contributed to this story