Without bombs, SJAFB is just another airport…

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kylie Barrow
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - - If air power is key to victory, then munitions are key to air power. The 4th Munitions Squadron here is a vital piece to the 4th Fighter Wing’s readiness, ensuring our jets are combat ready.

The 4th MUNS consists of 14 shops. In each of these shops, Airmen are responsible for building, storing, maintaining, inspecting and delivering everything from 2,000-pound bunker busters which are used by various aircrafts to the blanks used by security forces Airmen during exercises.

Munitions are critical in turning airplanes into warfighting assets, and without them there would be no combat air power.

“There’s a common joke around 4th MUNS,” said Tech. Sgt. Gabriel Hixenbaugh, 4th MUNS plans and scheduling section chief. “Without a bomb dump, it’s just another airport.”

There are inherent dangers involved in performing a job where almost everything you work with is designed to cause lethal damage. This demands safety to be at the forefront of any operation or project involving munitions. As the Airmen assemble various bomb components they have to be mindful of the sensitivity of the devices, from radio signals and electricity.

Those sensitivities require 4th MUNS Airmen to establish maximum safe distance evacuation points and safety briefings at the beginning of every shift, as well as reporting full accountability to the control center of the personnel involved in each operation.

The 4th MUNS keeps F-15E Strike Eagles at the 4th FW equipped for the task at hand, from conducting training exercises with target practice tracers to arming aircraft with live ammunition for real world operations.

The team helps put the ‘Force’ in “Air Force”, contributing to mission success and combat readiness with every boom they ensure is delivered.