ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TOWNSVILLE, Australia -- The process is said to be simple ... you lift them, click them, fuse them and then arm them. Going through exactly those steps, the warriors of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 332 prepare to send another F/A-18 Hornet out with a full load of 500-pound bombs during Operation Southern Frontier 2004.
Although the workload has been heavier for the aviation ordnance technicians on other deployments, they say the daily mission mixed in with the sweltering summer heat and widely dispersed work areas are enough to keep up the level of excitement.
"It is hot," exclaimed Pfc. Anthony Wilson. "It is nice to get to work under the (ordnance loading areas) instead of being in the direct sunlight all the time."
The deployment to the Australian state of Queensland not only introduces the Marines to the heat, it gives them hands-on time with the munitions they are trained to install. Being able to apply what we learned in school to combat scenarios being executed by the pilots is what it's all about, Wilson explained.
Gunnery Sgt. Rene Benedit, ordnance noncommissioned officer in charge, lauded the positive benefits of the deployment for his Marines. "Exercises like this are imperative, because it allows them to get the face-to-face time with the weapons that they need," he said.
There are many different steps taken to ensure the job is done to the precision quality required. "To them it might seem simple because we break it down into a variety of tasks, but if you were to put it all on one Marine, it is a lot of work," Benedit said.
Each day the tasks that lay ahead of the bomb-loading crew may be different. Before going home each night, the flight schedule, detailing the specifics of the next day's flights, is published.
"Our job depends on a lot of things. Some bombs have to be wired different," said Cpl. Sarah Robinson reciting a long list of weights and acronyms, each representing a type of ordnance she has helped hoist and fasten to the belly of the F/A-18 countless times in her three years as a Marine. "What type of fins do they want? Do they want a mechanical fuse or a tail fuse?... It will all be on the flight schedule."
One newcomer to the bomb crew was Lance Cpl. Joshua Smith, avionics technician. "I learned how to arm a bomb today. I feel special," he said triumphantly.
Smith, who was assigned to the detail for the day just to get a new experience usually works on the communications and navigations of the aircraft. "Usually anything we put on the jet, we intend it to stay there. Plus this is a little more strenuous," said Smith explaining the major differences in this temporary assignment. "I'd really like to learn more about the different types of ordnance they use."
Lift, click, fuse and load is simplifying the demanding job the ordnance team performs, according to Benedit. Planning, electronic checks, weapons inspections and programming the appropriate settings are all vital to accomplish the desired end state.
The quality of the job they do is evident when steel hits the target on the bombing range.
"We actually get to load the stuff that gets dropped on the targets. There is a lot of pressure to get everything done on time. So, it was real nice to get a chance to see what are work actually does," said Wilson of his day at the bombing range.
"We do get feedback. Sometimes the pilots will tell us what happened or even shoot video," said Wilson who added that seeing first hand the ordnance work as advertised was truly rewarding.
"We have outstanding crews. These Marines are on the flight line from (6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) in 100-degree temperatures. It is a lot of hard work," said Benedit.