Munitions Airmen find new way to train

Airmen with the 86th Munitions Squadron have a new method of training for their mission, recently developed by Master Sgt. Daniel Clark, NCOIC of munitions storage.

They use the inside of a bay that is set up like a normal warehouse, where Airmen practice storing/looking for various assets.

The 86th MUNS is responsible for storing, maintaining and shipping those assets to various bases and to each area they are responsible for.

“This training bay allows us to train our new personnel without the use of live assets,” said Staff Sgt. Marc Hobdy, 86th MUNS crew chief supervisor. “For our more seasoned personnel, this bay allows us to retrain and identify discrepancies out in the area. We bring those things back to this bay so we can teach our Airmen and eliminate those errors.”

The training bay offers the accountability required when working with munitions.

“Our job requires 100 percent accountability, which we practice for by using this bay,” said Senior Airman Tadd Meyer, 86th MUNS crew chief. “Every asset has a number, which tells us where that specific item is when we look it up in our system.”

The identification number makes it easier for Airmen when performing their monthly inventory.

“We can complete a check relatively quickly, as long as everything is in the right position,” Meyer said. “We account for what our system says we have once a month. We even place traps to test if our personnel are taking the proper steps while performing these checks.”

Issues that don’t get corrected during the monthly checks are taken to the training bay to make sure they get caught the next time.

“If left unnoticed, those ‘traps’ would be reported and used for training in the training bay,” Meyer said. “We don’t try to mess anyone up on purpose. We just need to ensure that everyone is doing what they’re supposed to.”

This training is there to prevent potential dangers, like missing munitions which could lead to punishment for munitions Airmen.

“If there was an incident where munitions were unaccounted for, a ripple effect would take place,” Meyer said. “If the lost asset couldn’t be accounted for, everyone from the crew chiefs to commanders would be in trouble. To make sure this doesn’t happen, we take training seriously.”