Oklahoma National Guard practices bomb builds with 18th MUNS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Omari Bernard
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Thousands of miles away from friends, family and home, Air National Guardsmen from the 138th Fighter Wing practice building live bombs in the munitions storage area of Kadena Air Base.

"We're here to build bombs as part of a Theater Security Package on Kadena Air Base," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Randy Mortan, 138th Fighter Wing NCOIC of conventional maintenance. "We do train back home but not on any live bombs since we're right next to the Tulsa international airport."

The 138th Fighter Wing from Tulsa, OK supports U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Packages as a deterrent against threats to regional security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.

Mortan said, as ammo troops the objective is to support the mission of the pilots. The bombs built are transported to the flight line, loaded onto F-16 Fighting Falcons and then dropped by the pilots during their training.

Building air-to-ground bombs is something the 138th Fighter Wing's ammo troops take pride in.

"This is something our guys are used to," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jim Richards, 138th Fighter Wing maintenance superintendent.  "This is primarily our forte."

The 138th Fighter Wing operates out of the Tulsa International Air Port.

"Our unit is primarily an air-to-ground unit so they like to drop a lot of bombs," Richards said. "But we don't get to build a lot of live bombs because geographically where we are at."

While here, the 138th ammo troops were able to pass on some of their knowledge and experience of air-to-ground bomb building to members of the 18th Munitions Squadron who may have never worked on building air-to-ground munitions.

"The mission of the 18th Wing fighters is primarily air-to-air combat," Mortan said. "So the ammo troops here primarily build and work on air-to-air munitions."

"This was my first time working with the Air National Guard at Kadena," said Senior Airman Audrie Mackenzie, 18th MUNS munitions inspector. "It was exciting for me to get to work with these Airmen since we do not build air to ground munitions on Kadena."

Mackenzie said building bombs alongside Guardsmen was like clockwork.

"You get into a rhythm," Mackenzie said. "You see how all the parts come together and you all get to see the finished project of a collective effort. If you want to see teamwork, you watch a bomb build.  Even though I had never worked with any of them before, it had a flow just like any other build I've been a part of."

In turn, the 138th Fighter Wing's ammo troops also gained from working alongside active duty counterparts.

"We've learned a lot of the 'Kadena-isms' that come with operating here on Okinawa," Mortan said. "I've picked up on the little things that can make the job proficient and easier."