EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Bombs were built, fighter jets inspected, and weapons loaded as maintainers from across Team Eglin competed for bragging rights during the installation’s inaugural Sortie Generation Competition on May 21.
The event brought together maintenance units from the 96th Test Wing and the 33rd Fighter Wing in a showcase designed to test speed, precision,n and teamwork while highlighting the work flightline Airmen perform behind the scenes every day.
“This was a demonstration of the aptitude, teamwork, and professionalism our maintainers bring to the flightline every single day,” said Channon Green, one of the event coordinators from the 96th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “It was a test of speed, safety, and absolute perfection to see who earned the ultimate bragging rights.”
The competition featured three categories: dedicated crew chief inspections, bomb building, and weapons loading.
The dedicated crew chief competition opened the day with Airmen inspecting aircraft ranging from F-35 Lightning IIs to F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons. Judges examined the aircraft for cleanliness, condition,n and attention to detail, while also evaluating the professionalism and pride displayed by each crew chief team.
The winning team from the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit included Staff Sergeant Jacob Garrett, Senior Airman Tyler Potts, and Airman 1st Class Alexander Edmonds.
Next came the bomb build challenge, where four-person teams raced to assemble GBU-12 and GBU-31 munitions while avoiding costly mistakes.
“This event tested deep technical expertise, teamwork,k and the ability to follow complex instructions perfectly under pressure,” Green said. “One mistake, one dropped pin, and the team could be disqualified.”
The winning bomb build team from the 96th Maintenance Squadron included Staff Sergeant Hernandez, Airman 1st Class Andrew Welo, Airman Aiden Wick, and Airman Jacob Nasworthy.
The competition concluded with weapons load crews racing to arm aircraft as quickly and safely as possible. Teams loaded AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles along with GBU-12 and GBU-31 bombs onto F-35s, F-1.5s, and F-16s.
“This was a choreographed dance of muscle, machinery, and communication,” Green said. “It’s physically demanding, mentally taxing, and incredibly dangerous if not done correctly.”
The winning load crew from the 60th Aircraft Maintenance Unit included Staff Sergeant Dominic Briggs, Senior Airman Matthew Garcia, and Senior Airman Armando Jimenez.
While the event featured music, food trucks,s and a festival atmosphere, organizers said the competition served a larger purpose: preparing Airmen to generate combat airpower at a moment’s notice.
“This competition directly hones the skills needed to generate combat airpower,” Green said. “It builds morale, fosters innovation, and ensures our warfighters are the best in the world.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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