OCR Text |
Show by Capt. Juan A. Rios 651st Munitions Squadron By now, its become clear that Team Hills mission encompasses the entire world. After all, Ogden ALC I procures, manages and repairs aircraft, missiles, weapons and other components for our Air Force The 388th and 419th Fighter Wings carry our nations will to our enemies wherever they may be, and every Aerospace Expeditionary Force has members of the 75th Air Base Wing increasing its strength. You might not be aware, however, of the existence iV f and those of allied countries. i U if 4 j I 4 c4 J . and purpose of a small unit belonging to Team Hill, even though youve seen their products in action ti if i ... t U , r t 4' tv ,4 V ,r-4 f I j i. 1 r I- s r:'T- S'- 4it , V- 4 . ! i f ; ,:'- - - f ? 4 T fi i a' 4 -- I I . L S W f , if' ' I j J r . v-- i t . &&U 'it, 4 I: . Ss "i i Vi I. J i -- i 2 , y - 5 1? 3 ft. z53 K rtl'r '4.:. 13. f , vx -- v V t i: V- 4f r - i VJoai.K in virtually every contingency our country has engaged in during the last 20 years. This hot pepper of a unit is located, not at Hill, but on the outskirts of the Alamo City, San Antonio, Texas. The 651st Munitions Squadron, a geographically separated unit of the 75th ABW, is located on Lack-lan- d Training Annex, one mile west of Lackland AFB, Texas. Inside is the largest conventional munitions storage area in the continental United States, covering 475 acres. The unit manages the smart weapons component of the Harvest Standard Air Munitions Pack-- ' agesStandard Tanks, Racks, Adapters and Pylons Packages program, better known as STAMPSTRAPP. This squadron, includes 70 munitions -- '3 1 td 4 4 Members of the 551st Munitions Squadron deliver a shipment of AGM-8- 8 High Anti Radiation Speed Missiles for shipment, left, in the early hours of a foggy January morning. A load of AGM-15- 4 Joint Standoff Weapons, above, are readied by 651st members for shipment to a classified location. 80-memb- er specialists, 7 aircraft armament specialists, an orderly room and three officers. Under the command of Maj. Kim Brooks and Master Sgt. Samuel Abernathy, their first sergeant, the squadron sits ready to act upon the direction of Ogden ALCs Munitions Directorate at the request of the warfighting commanders. The 651st has a long and distinguished history of providing the preferred smart weapons on short notice to warfighters worldwide. Operations supported since the unit started as Detachment 40, San Antonio ALC in 1972, include Desert Storm, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Northern and Southern Watch and most recently Allied Force. In every one of these, the weapons and components shipped by the squadron have been, as one unit member commented, the equivalent of a hot jalapeno pepper shoved down the thro'atof ouf nations ene- ce mies. If youve seen the video of a guide'd bomb hitting its target on CNN, chances are really good those bombs came from us, said Chief Master Sgt. Danny Brown, the squadrons chief enlisted manager. Although the squadron has had a variety of names in its 28-ye- ar history, the mission has always remained the same. Its names include Detachment 40, San Antonio Air Logistics Center; Detachment 40, 2853rd Distribution Squadron; and 76th Munitions Squadron. In October 1994, the squadron was designated the 7 6th MUNS, part of the 7 6th Logistics Group, under by Richard Beard Utah State University Extension Machinery Specialist Hand injuries, muscle strain, and overexertion are just some of the snow removal injuries associated with each seasons first major snowfall. As winter arrives and snow blankets the walkways and driveways, here are some tips to help you remove it. Dress properly and pay close attention to the cold temperature and how tired you become. Clothes should be snug fitting and worn in layers. Shoes should be sturdy and provide traction on icy surfaces. Dont work to the point of exhaustion and take frequent rests indoors to warm up. Snow shoveling, although labor intensive, is the method most commonly used by homeowners. The shovel doesnt require an operators manual, seldom fails to start and will work when other equipment will not. lightweight, aluminum shovels work best and surface conditioners such as Teflon, silicone or wax can be used to prevent snow buildup on the shovel surface. A typical snow shovel holds lots of snow, but partially filling the shovel rather than heaping it full will reduce strain on muscles and joints. Powered snow removal equipment can seriously injure people and animals, and cause damage to property from flying Kelly AFBs 76th ABW. With the 1995 decision to realign Kelly, the squadron was the 651st MUNS and placed under the Conventional Munitions Directorate of Ogden ALC in October 1998. When the 75th Logistics Group was activated, the 651st MUNS was placed under the LG, together with our sister unit, the 649th Muni- During the squadrons history as a part of Team Hill, we have been recognized as the Air Forces ulti- mate experts on smart weapons and components. We have been selected to beddown the Joint Direct Attack Munition, the AGM-13- 0 Powered Standoff Weapon and the bunker buster GBU-2among others. Additionally, the 651st was selected to receive the 1998 AFMC Maintenance Effectiveness Award. 8, tions Squadron. debris. The equipment produces toxic exhaust fumes and operates on fuel that presents a fire and explosion hazard. Eye protection is also important. Wear hearing protection if the engine noise is excessive or the equipment will be operated for long periods of time. Remember the following guidelines for safe snow removal with a snow blower. Review the snow blower operating manual and put the equipment where it can be easily accessed. Inexperience is a frequent cause of accidents. Check the fuel and oil, and make sure the engine will easily start and stop. Know how to quickly stop the snow throwing or blowing unit and shut the engine off if a problem arises. Dont operate snow removal equipment when its dark or visibility is poor. Newer models are equipped with improved safety features and increased engine horsepower for better snow removal and reduced clogging. Snow blowers and throwers sold today have a lever that must be engaged by the operator for the equipment to operate. If the lever is released, the drive train is disengaged and snow discharge stops. This safety feature has the advantage of stopping the machine if you lose control of the power unit for any reason. Clear the areas where snow will be removed of yard debris, sticks, rocks, water hoses, extension cords, toys and such. Snow removal equipment can throw snow 2,0 feet or more and solid objects such as rocks or ice chunks may travel three times that distance. Accidents and injuries occur most often when a hand or other object is inserted in the discharge chute and comes in contact with the turning blades of the blower or thrower unit. If the capacity of a snow blower or thrower is exceeded by wet, heavy snow, the discharge chute wifi clog. The augers, blades or paddles are slowed and can become plugged. Dont overload the equipment. If snow is heavy, go more slowly and remove a narrower strip of snow with each pass. Avoid overloading the machine and keep the discharge unit turning at If the discharge unit becomes clogged, resist the temptation to reach into or place an object such as a stick in the discharge chute. Turn the engine off and disconnect the sparkplug wire or electrical power. Use a wooden dowel or plastic rod to remove snow. Under no circumstances place your hand inside the discharge chute to remove the blockage. Even with the engine turned off, the discharge unit may spin when dogged snow is dislodged. When operating snow blowers and throwers, direct the snow discharge chute high-spee- d high-spee- d. away from people, animals, windows, vehi cles and other property that may be dam- aged by flying debris. Be careful when turning because the direction of snow discharge will change. Travel up and down the face of slopes, rather than across the slope when removing snow from inclined surfaces. A slope that rises more than three feet with each 10 feet of horizontal travel is too steep for traditional snow removing equipment. Take special care when changing directions on sloped surfaces. It is very easy to loose control of a snow blower or thrower when it is leaning to the left or right. Under windy conditions, start on the upwind side of the area to be cleared and throw the snow with the wind. The wind will help disperse the snow and prevent it from settling on cleared areas. When removing snow from a gravel driveway, set the blades an inch or more above the gravel to reduce the likelihood that gravel will launch through the discharge chute. Electric snow blowers have an electric motor that can also cause injury and electricity has the added hazard of electrocution. If the electric cord becomes caught in the machine, severe shock or electrocution can result Begin snow removal close to the outlet and continue outward to minimize the chance of running over the power cord. |