1 SOW conducts load competition, testing skill and readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman Isabel Tanner
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --   Two 1st Special Operations Wing weapons teams went head-to-head in an annual load crew competition at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Feb. 16, 2025.

The competition showcases the proficiency and efficiency of weapons load crews, highlighting their continued readiness to defend our nation’s security.

“It is the quintessential weapons task to showcase our impact on mission readiness,” said a participant in the competition. “There’s no better [example] of what we’re actually going to be doing on a battlefield.”

Weapons specialists undergo monthly evaluations on the precision, accuracy and timeliness of their loads, and Airmen with the highest-scoring evaluations are elected to compete.

During the competition, the teams were evaluated on various tasks, including a 20-question written assessment, a uniform inspection and a timed weapons load.

“It gets everybody fired up,” said an evaluator for the competition. “It really hones in on our skills from a crew perspective and how they perform under a pressurized environment.”

Though the competition tested proficiency in their jobs, it also serves as a tradition within the community, promoting camaraderie within the unit and encouraging healthy competition to show pride in the job, according to a participant.

“This shows the power of the Air Force mission,” said an evaluator for the competition. “It shows everybody the manpower, the precision and the skill set it takes to make sure our systems are reliable in order for them to be expanded when we’re downrange.”

According to a participant, the competition’s high-pressure environment–featuring a large audience of staff and family members and a tight time constraint–is designed to mimic the intensity of a live weapons load in a deployed setting, preparing competitors for the challenge of downrange environments.

“If we are not well skilled as weapons troops, then any task that we ever get is going to take more time, and especially in [The Air Force Special Operations Command], time is of the essence.” said a participant in the competition. “The sooner we can get where we need to go, the more likely we can do what we need to do.”

This supports the idea that weapons specialists assigned to the 1 SOW hone in on the wing's motto, “Anytime, Anyplace,” when performing their job daily, according to an evaluator. They consistently train for the day they are called to perform, and the competition is one of the aspects encompassing that mindset.

“Without weapons, it's just another airline,” said a competition participant. “We provide the lethality aspect of what the Air Force needs to do and that is a force multiplier for our guys on the ground. It’s what gives us the technological advantage.”

The winners of the competition will be announced at the Maintenance Professional of the Year ceremony on March 21.