HAMPTON, Va. - The quarterly munitions competition was held today at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, where two teams squared off to see who could load weapons onto the F-22 Raptor the fastest and safest.
It's all in an effort to boost camaraderie and maintain readiness.
“You don’t know when that horn is going to go off, and you have to be ready to do your job in a combat environment,” said Chief Master Sergeant Christoper Shaver.
The two teams, representing the 27th Fightin' Eagles and the 94th Hat in the Ring Gang, loaded three missiles and 480 bullets each during the 40-minute competition.
While the 27th finished first, the 94th came out on top after the evaluations were graded.
Staff Sergeant Zachary Jackson was the weapons load crew team chief on the winning team.
“It was stressful at first, but I kept trying to tell my guys just have fun with it, it’s a day to have fun and just show what we can do,” Jackson said.
The three-person teams are comprised of the best of the best. All members must get a 100 percent on their quality assurance and safety evaluations to qualify.
Jackson said he's proud of the win.
“It’s just honestly an honor to be able to show what we are able to do," Jackson said. "I'm just so thankful for the squadron to be able to acknowledge my crew and be able to represent them.”
The next competition will be held in July 2022.
