388th FW Airmen compete in F-35A weapons loading competition

  • Published
  • 388th Fighter Wing
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Hill Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing loaded laser-guided munitions into F-35A Lightning II aircraft weapons bays Jan. 19 to determine the wing’s weapons load crew of the year.

Two teams from the fighter wing’s 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit competed, while a third from the 34th AMU and currently deployed as part of a preplanned theater security deployment to Kadena Air Base, Japan, competed earlier this month.

The three-person teams, including the accessory prep person, MJ-1 jammer driver, and team chief directing the operation, loaded 500-pound GBU-12 bombs into prepositioned F-35s. The teams were evaluated for the best all-around time against a strict set of criteria.

These competitions benefit Airmen by honing their specialty skills and bolstering camaraderie and friendly unit rivalries.

The winning team will be announced in early February at the 388th Fighter Wing’s annual awards ceremony.