25th AMU takes load crew competition honors

Staff Sgt. Malinda Lyons, Staff Sgt. Kenneth Thompson, and Airman 1st Class Charles Clayton, Crew 3 of the 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit won the 3rd Quarter Load Crew Competition Oct. 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky)

by Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/11/2011 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Weapon loaders from the 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit won the 3rd Quarter Load Crew Competition Oct. 4, putting the travelling trophy back into Osan Air Base hands.

Staff Sgt. Malinda Lyons, Staff Sgt. Kenneth Thompson, and Airman 1st Class Charles Clayton, Crew 3 of the 25th AMU, defeated Staff Sgt. Chris Fleming, Staff Sgt. Terry White, and Airman 1st Class Jack Eiler, Crew 5 of the 36th AMU. Crew 3 wrested the top title from the 354th EAMU which had won the competition for the first and second quarters of 2011.

Crew 3 scored 801 points out of 1,000 possible, compared to the Crew 5 which scored 651. The crews scored points based on a 25-question weapons knowledge test, dress and appearance inspection, tool kit inspection, and overall technical accuracy while loading a GBU-31 bomb and AIM-9LM on an aircraft.

"There's a lot of effort that goes into training these crews every day, and the competition is the culmination of that effort," said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Burton, 51st Maintenance Group, wing weapons manager. "We're at the tip of the spear here - only 60 minutes away from the DMZ. We can be called upon to generate combat airpower on very short notice. These weapons loaders make that combat airpower possible. I'm very proud of their accomplishments."

The 25th AMU will defend their bragging rights during the Weapons Load Crew of the Year competition.



Staff Sgt. Malinda Lyons (left), 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons loader, signals instructions to Airman 1st Class Charles Clayton while loading a GBU-31 bomb on an A-10 during the 3rd Quarter Load Crew Competition Oct. 4. Crew 3 from the 25th AMU won the competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky)

Source

Note: Pictured in the photo on top is A-10C 78-0716 from the 25th Fighter Squadron.