ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Twice a year the 48th Munitions Squadron completes a week-long 100 percent inventory of their $302 million munitions stockpile.
The next inventory is scheduled to occur from Sept. 9 through 17.
To accomplish this task, approximately 80 Airmen are divided into teams of four, said the munitions operations section chief. Each team is comprised of a team chief, an inspector and two additional Airmen.
The 81 buildings between RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, England, are divided up between the teams, he continued. By the end of the week, the teams have a complete count of the 11 million munitions items, and inspectors have completed a serviceability check on all munitions.
"The inspector is in charge of making sure he looks at every single item in every building that he is responsible for,” said the munitions accountable systems officer.
All items, from 5.56 millimeter rifle ammunition to 5,000-pound guided bomb units, are thoroughly checked.
Although the 100 percent accountability inventories happen only in the spring and fall, maintaining accountability and serviceability is not limited to twice a year.
"We do inventories 12 times a year,” said the munitions accountable systems officer, “just not on so grand a scale. In March and September we're doing the 100 percent, wall-to-wall inventory. Each of the other months, we're inventorying 10 percent of the stockpile."
Maintaining the serviceability of the Liberty Wing’s stockpile of munitions keeps the wing mission ready.
"These 100 percent inventories,” said the munitions accountable systems officer, “these serviceability inspections that we do, ensure that our warfighters, pilots, cops, explosive ordnance disposal technicians and our combat controllers—everybody that is involved—they have the munitions they need to go and fight our nation’s battles."