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Ellsworth emphasizes readiness, executes Combat Ammunition Production Exercise

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jake Jacobsen
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

The 28th Bomb Wing successfully completed Air Force Global Strike Command’s second ever Combat Ammunition Production Exercise (CAPEX) July 8-12, 2024, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.

Following last year’s success at the 2023 Air Force Global Strike Challenge, where the 28th Munitions Squadron contributed to secure the Ellis Giant Sword Trophy for best bomber maintenance, the squadron was selected to further showcase their skills and demonstrate production capabilities through the CAPEX.

“The Air Force has shifted, and the lessons learned in these types of exercises teach our members how to take an acceptable amount of risk in austere locations to attain mission completion,” said Chief Master Sgt. Alexander Crandall, AFGSC munitions manager. “This training provides the opportunity to get creative and think outside of the box. That way, when these forces deploy down range, they have the skills in their toolbox to perform the mission ready tasks presented to them.”

Beginning in 1987, the CAPEX was initiated by Pacific Air Forces with the first ever exercise hitting the AFGSC in 2023 at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. As an annual event, bases are challenged to produce live-munitions aligned with Air Tasking Orders resulting in command-wide enhancements.

“We do these exercises to make sure we constantly up on our training and to show our commander and the commanders above what our capabilities are,” said Senior Airman Tatyana Guidry, 28th Munitions Squadron conventional maintenance instructor. “Usually when we do these trainings, we don’t use live munitions, so the fact that some of these bombs we are working on will go to the flightline and be taken on missions, makes this feel more real-world.”

Guidry also plays the role of an instructor who teaches others in her career field how to build munitions and stay current on all training requirements. Even in that role she still claims there are many things to learn.

“Even if the people I am teaching already know how to do the job, there is always something new to learn and that applies to me as well,” said Guidry. “I am trying to use every opportunity I have here to learn something new or to see things from a different perspective. Everybody at this exercise is giving 120% and they keep pushing until the very end of our 12-hour shift, that way when the next crew comes in they don’t feel like they are behind or rushed.”

The week-long exercise ties directly with the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept, shifting operations from centralized physical infrastructures to a network of smaller, dispersed locations. In these environments, munitions technicians will be expected to adapt and prevail when it comes to contingency planning and production measures.

“For the bomber community, ACE is challenging because of the size of the aircraft and the massive amount of munitions vs. a fighter aircraft with lighter payloads,” said Crandall. “These Airmen have the capability to work with any jet and build any type of munition; they aren’t tied to just the bombers. Typically, what we will do is forward deploy some of our troops to these other combatant commands to support their cause, regardless of the aircraft present, which is why this exercise is important to showcase their proficiency and put warheads on foreheads.”

Fundamentally, CAPEX is a proven method designed to enhance munitions personnel’s production capability, identify areas of improvement, and measure combat readiness to execute missions across the region.

“Our mission is to provide strategic deterrence, global strike capabilities and combat support, anytime, anywhere,” said Master Sgt. Jamie Franklin, AFGSC command munitions manager. “CAPEX helps train and equip our Airmen to be the warfighters we need to win future fights.”