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36 MUNS preps for CAPEX

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Veronica McMahon
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
The Combat Ammunition Production Exercise is scheduled to be underway April 23 through 26 here to test the 36th Munitions Squadron Airmen's capability to build munitions and support combat sorties.

Anticipating the exercise's approach, the squadron has conducted mini exercises to prepare the Airmen for approximately 21 inspectors who will evaluate the processes and procedures for building munitions to support the wing's operational plan.

The squadron just wrapped up the third mini CAPEX and leadership, as well as Airmen, agreed they felt more prepared.

"This is a bomb building exercise and the training is important because often Airmen have a plan but need to develop muscle memory to get quick at these types of operations," said Capt. Lauren Swiderski, 36 MUNS Maintenance Operations officer. "The evaluators will be looking at a variety of things such as technical accuracy, the breakout plan, and that the equipment and that personnel are distributed evenly."

The Airmen are practicing all different aspects to prepare themselves.

"Today we just did a bomb roll as part of the pre exercise," said Senior Airman Jeremy Cowger, 36 MUNS crew chief. "This is getting us prepared to get our munitions prepped up quickly."

The Airmen of the 36 MUNS will also be working alongside deployed troops from the 5th Munitions Squadron out of Minot AFB during the CAPEX. Together, about 200 Airmen will be evaluated.

"The pre exercise is important because it gets the kinks out of the way so when it comes time for the real exercise we are familiar with the operations," said Airman First Class Tyler Heimer, deployed from 5 MUNS.

The Airmen will be working 24-hour operations to support the exercise and won't know what bombs they are required to build until the exercise kicks off.

"Right now we are making sure we have the right tools together and that they are functioning properly," said Master Sgt. Stephen Taylor, 5 MUNS team lead. "My intentions are for us to get everything assembled and the aircraft loaded. It is a very dynamic environment for these guys to get a hand on as well as a pre-run in testing their skills."

The CAPEX hasn't been conducted on Andersen since 2008 and is only practiced in PACAF. Captain Swiderski said that along with seeing a vast improvement work-wise throughout the three pre exercises, she has also seen a rise in morale.

"This is a good representation of what will be happening next week and we are really testing what we have learned so far," the captain said. "This has been a great training experience for everyone."