MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The 23d Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s conventional ammo section enhanced their knowledge for setting up and maintaining their Munitions Assembly Conveyers, Feb. 3, here.
A MAC is an $85,000 conveyer belt Airmen use to build bombs. It’s basically an assembly line that helps these Airmen efficiently construct munitions that may be used to neutralize threats and protect our own.
“[The MAC] makes life a lot easier and faster,” said Staff Sgt. Skylar Young, 23d EMS, munitions operations custody account custodian. “You have one person on one end doing one thing to the munition and have another person taking care of something else. At the end it all comes together in one solid piece.”
Reminiscent of an early 1900s automobile manufacturing plant, the empty shell rests on the MAC’s conveyer belt and parts are added as it moves down the line, until you have a finished product.
However, to ensure the munitions are properly built, every member on the assembly line has to know their job as well as everyone else’s.
“It is important that Airmen know what they are doing so that the munitions are assembled correctly and function properly and safely,” said Tech. Sgt. Dennis Wright, 23d EMS conventional maintenance NCO in charge. “When building munitions, you have to know the functions of the MAC so that it is used safely to continue the flow of ammo to the flight line.”
Safety and efficiency are important and help ammo Airmen complete their mission, which has a direct impact on the Air Force’s mission.
“Ammo is very critical to the Air Force mission,” said Young. “We give pilots what they need to make bad guys go away or to protect the people on the ground.”
Neutralizing threats is a critical part of the Air Force mission. In order to do this, conventional ammo Airmen bring a MAC with them downrange to supply pilots in need of munitions.
“[The MAC] helps when we deploy because there are times where we are at a bare base with little to no facilities made for our munitions operations,” said Wright. “It lets us turn any location into a bomb assembly line so we can keep the aircraft loaded with bombs. This allows us to build bombs as fast as the pilots can drop them.”
Whether deployed or at home station, ammo troops train to ensure they use the right equipment safely to proficiently provide munitions that aid in warfighting.
“My favorite part about my job is building the munition, sending it out to the flight line and having the jet come back empty,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Reynolds, 23d EMS munitions systems craftsman. “That means we did our job correctly and made a contribution to the mission. It’s a rewarding feeling that gives me a lot of pride.”