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Prairie Vigilance- SSgt. William Patrick, 5AMXS weapons specialist team chief

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Caleb S. Kimmell
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

SSgt. William Patrick is a weapons specialist team chief for the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Before he joined the U.S. Air Force, he was a police officer in Prairie Grove, Arkansas where he is originally from. He moved here to become a part of Team Minot with his wife and three children.

As a weapons specialist, Patrick loads B-52s with the various different payloads it is equipped to carry. Patrick and the three Airmen that he oversees have spent eight hours loading a full aircraft during the Prairie Vigilance exercise. As a team chief, he is his team’s source for information. They will come to him for questions or guidance on anything pertaining to their weapons systems.

Patrick will ultimately route all issues or concerns up to his weapons supervisors who can provide even further direction. All movements are coordinated with the 705th Munitions Squadron to ensure all Airmen are safe at all times. “Getting to see all of this first hand is humbling,” says Patrick. “Everything is waiting on us. We make it happen.”

Patrick says even though the daily grind can get old at times, he is always proud of what he does. His advice to Airmen at Team Minot is to never get jaded and always remember that every single Airman has an impact on the mission.