48th AMXS Airmen battle in load crew competition Published Oct. 8, 2015 By Senior Airman Nigel Sandridge 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Airmen from the 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron participated in a load crew competition on RAF Lakenheath Oct. 6. The quarterly load crew competitions pit Airmen from the 492nd, 493rd and 494th Aircraft Maintenance Units against each other to see who will hold the reigning title of best load crew for the quarter. "This contest gives the crews the chance to gauge their abilities against their counterparts on base, while also boosting morale of the Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. Shandon Lane, 48th Maintenance Group weapons standardization evaluator. "The guys really get to show their expertise and represent their units." The four-part competition consisted of a written test, uniform inspection, a weapons load and an inspection of the composite toolkit to wrap things up. "This is my first competition but not my first time handling munitions," said Airman Andrew Smith, 494th AMU weapons load crew member. "There was a little nervousness initially, but I felt confident in my team's abilities and overall performance." Airmen battled through the competition while being cheered on by their families and supporting squadron members, ending with the 494th being the first to successfully load an aircraft. "The timeliness was amazing, and they moved with a sense of urgency and skill," Lane said. "It's a testament to our Airmen's ability to get the job done in a timely fashion for real-world scenarios." Airmen have yet to receive competition results, but that doesn't stop the sense of accomplishment. "I like this competition because, as an Airman, not only does it help us with our morale and proficiency, but it helps show our families that what we do is an honor no matter the conditions," Smith said. "Rain, sleet or snow."