80,000 pounds ... unloaded

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Greene
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Whiteman is the only base to possess such a magnificent hunk of metal. 

It takes a four-person crew to load, costs $19 million dollars to build, and requires a checklist compiled of 10 chapters, one for each different scenario -- what is it?

The weapons load trainer.

Built by Lockheed and Hughes in 1993 for Whiteman Air Force Base, it's a full-scale B-2 weapons loading trainer used for training and certifying load crews. It uses two functional weapons bays and interfaces with actual rotary launcher assemblies, smart bomb rack assemblies and a munitions lift trailer.

The WLT is 67 feet long, 48 feet wide and 18 feet high, weighing in at 80,000 pounds and is a huge asset to Team Whiteman and the 509th Maintenance Group.

"No other career field in the Air Force is required to certify personnel on their primary job," said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Graney, weapons load team member. "We ensure loading is standardized throughout the wing."

The crew in action Aug. 14 was very precise. Comprised of Tech. Sgt. Cary Cook, loading standardization crew team chief, monitored overall safety of the load and was responsible for the checklist and locking munitions; Tech. Sgt. Robert Kirkham, LSC member, trailer driver and bomb rack prep was responsible for lining up munitions; Tech. Sgt. Ryan Graney, LSC member and munitions prep, was the composite tool kit custodian; and Tech. Sgt. Jason Lease, LSC member and jammer driver, was responsible for aircraft form documentation.

"We can load or unload eight weapons at a time on (a rotary launch assembly)," said Sergeant Kirkham. "The rotary launch assembly has four lock pins that lock it into place (that) we manually lock from the trailer to the RLA so the RLA does not spin."

How often do load crews train?

According to Sergeant Cook, they train three shifts a day, five days a week -- depending on who needs training. Newcomers are trained on proficiency loads for two days a month -- after the initial four weeks of training . Regular flightline load crews train for one day.

"This can be the best and worst," said Sergeant Graney. "If the wing succeeds in an exercise or inspection in weapons loading, we have done our job. If the wing does not do well, we have to answer for any deviations, fails or damage to equipment."

Many steps and checkpoints occur during the process, and each member was on point.
The team operates on two-inch clearances from the top of the WLT to the trailer being two inches from the ground after lowering. The four members have been at this for some time, and between them, they have 53 years of Air Force know-how.

Friendly competition among the loaders plays a part in morale building. Every month, flightline load crews are tested, uniforms are inspected, and actual loads are timed and evaluated. Based on performance, one load crew is recognized as the best. 

The next load competition is scheduled for October.