LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --
Throughout the Air Force, Airmen depend on each other to
ensure the mission is completed. Just as pilots depend on an array of career
field specialists it takes to guarantee an aircraft is mission-ready, weapons
undergraduate pilots in the C-130 Weapons Instructor Course, or WIC, depend on
loadmasters to assist in understanding what goes on in the back of the
aircraft.
The 29th Weapons Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas,
is home to the C-130 WIC. Only the top tier of instructor pilots and instructor
navigators are selected to attend the course. Weapons officer cadre train weapons
undergraduate pilots, or WUGS, to become tactical experts and leaders in the
art of battle-space dominance. This requires weapons officers to be
well-rounded in all aspects of managing a C-130.
“My job entails anything from assisting students throughout
multiple mission planning scenarios to flying as a loadmaster during the
various WIC phases,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Stager, 29th WPS
instructor loadmaster. “We give them the information needed so they can plan
accordingly when it comes to airdrops and transportation of cargo and
personnel.”
Trust and understanding are hallmark characteristics between
pilots and loadmasters to ensure each mission is safely and accurately completed.
Crew resource management, or CRM, plays a big factor in ensuring both pilot and
loadmaster are aware of what’s going on and have clear communication within all
phases of flight. CRM aids in the decision making process that takes place
amongst each crewmember.
“It is critical to know what the loadmaster is doing through
all phases of flight,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Scott Schavrien, 29th WPS
weapons officer instructor. “Whether it comes to executing an airdrop, loading
cargo or taking care of passengers, knowing what the loadmaster is doing
ensures mission success.”
Once the students graduate WIC, they are in charge of
planning a vast multitude of complex missions. With the knowledge passed from
cadre and loadmasters, weapons officers know exactly what an aircraft can do,
what it can carry and how it can be used effectively and efficiently in all
scenarios.
The purpose of WIC is to both teach pilots and navigators
how to employ a C-130 in a cross-domain battlespace, as well as train their
units which increases overall combat capability. Flying squadrons depend on
their knowledge of the latest tactics, techniques and procedures for all air-to-air
and air-to-ground combat in a joint environment.