“Working with these great people and doing the job I love inspires me to be here on a Saturday and Sunday. And, loading bombs is the best job you could ever have. I feel like I have a direct contribution to the Air Force mission by being on a weapons load crew and doing maintenance loading on the F-22.
Weapons is like a family within a family, it’s a very tight-knit community. We push each other and help each other out. We work in crews of three, so you get close to your crew
I’ve been in the Guard for six months, but I was active duty for six years and was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. I was a lead crew chief there, but I wanted to go to school full time without leaving the military lifestyle behind. That was my biggest driving force. I wanted to continue to serve my country in the state of Virginia -- I’m very proud to be a Virginian.
I’m from Chesapeake, Virginia, and I go to school in Lynchburg. Here, I have a support system, friends and people I’ve known forever. And, I just missed being in this area -- I like the Hampton Roads area in general.
There’s also a different culture in the Guard. It’s a lot more ‘family-like’ as opposed to being somewhere new with different people every couple of years. Here, it’s the same people every month. There’s also flexibility in the Guard. While I have opportunities to deploy, go on temporary duty orders, et cetera, it’s mostly done on a volunteer basis.” --Staff Sgt. Cody Butler, 192nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew member