ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- A weapons crew wearing personal protective equipment carries an air intercept missile 9 during certification training Oct. 23. Wearing PPE during a weapons load is part of initial certification and must be done once a year. Members are aircraft armament systems specialists with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Leon Schilling directs Senior Airman Mitch Mitchell in using a bomb lift while wearing personal protective gear to transport an air intercept missile 120 to the aircraft Oct. 23. Wearing PPE during a weapons load is part of initial certification and must be done once a year. Schilling and Mitchell are both aircraft armament systems specialist with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
EELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Randy DaSilva explains the procedures for checking a boom assembly during missile load certification training Oct. 23. Airmen must be certified on all missile loading procedures once a month. DaSilva is a squadron lead crew team chief for the 3rd Mission Operations Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Randy DaSilva shows how to secure an air intercept missile 120 on the missile cradle during missile loading certification Oct. 23. Airmen must be certified on all missile loading procedures once a month. DaSilva is a squadron lead crew team chief for the 3rd Mission Operations Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Leon Schilling sways an air intercept missile 120 on an F-15 Oct. 20. Swaying a missile during a load is a procedure to make sure the missile is securely loaded to the aircraft. Schilling is an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Leon Schilling directs a crew member to lower an air intercept missile 120 on the bomb lift Oct. 20. An AIM 120 weights 335 pounds and is 12 feet long, therefore the use of the bomb lift is needed for loading and unloading. Schilling is an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Senior Airman Mitch Mitchell inspects missiles prior to loading them on an F-15 during certification Oct. 20. Airmen must be certified on missile loading once a month. Mitchell is an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Leon Schilling and Senior Airman Howard Bergeron ensure proper alignment of an air intercept missile 120 while Senior Airman Joy Higgins evaluates them during certification training Oct. 20. A bomb lift, also known as MJ-1B, is used to load air intercept missiles. Load teams must be certified once a month on loading. Schilling and Bergeron are aircraft armament systems specialists with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. Higgins is a squadron lead crew team member for the 3rd Mission Operations Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Senior Airman Mitch Mitchell positions a Linkless Ammunition Loading System to the 20mm gun system interface unit on the F-15 during certification training Oct. 26. Airmen must be certified on missile loading once a month. Mitchell is an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding)