Approximately 100 containers with a variety of munitions rolled into Ramstein during October
The 86th Munitions Squadron (MUNS) at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, received its largest shipment of ordnance in recent history. As told by Senior Airman Joshua Magbanua, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, in his article Armed and Ready: Ramstein receives largest ammo shipment in years, approximately 100 containers with a variety of munitions rolled into Ramstein during October.
Master Sgt. David Head, 86th MUNS Munitions Operations section chief, noted that a delivery of such magnitude has not taken place since the late 20th century.
“This is the largest shipment of its kind since Operation Allied Force, which took place in 1999,” he said, referring to a 78-day campaign where aircraft flew 900 sorties to counter ethnic cleansing in Eastern Europe. “The munitions that we received will be used for future theater operations and the evolving U.S. European Command presence.”
Master Sgt. Arthur Myrick, 86th MUNS munitions flight chief, added that the stockpile would be used to support NATO’s European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) and augment the Air Force’s War Reserve Materiel in Europe.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeric Hernandez, the 86th Munitions Squadron quality assurance inspector, inspects a fresh shipment of large ordnance at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 19, 2018. Ramstein recently received one of its largest munitions shipments in recent history.
According to officials, EDI aims to increase responsiveness and readiness by pre-positioning ammunition, fuel, and equipment to enhance the U.S. Department of Defense’s ability to provide a rapid response against threats made by aggressive actors.
Myrick expounded on the importance of his squadron’s role in the Air Force’s global operations.
“We’re a major airlift hub for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, so our main job is to get munitions where they need to be on time,” he said. “These are real-world munitions to fulfill real-world objectives. That’s the reason we are downloading these things: to make sure we have the capability to move the fight forward if need be.”
U.S. Airmen assigned to the 86th Munitions Squadron unpack a fresh shipment of munitions at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on October 19, 2018. The 86th MUNS recently received what its leaders call the largest shipment of ordnance in many years.
Photo by Senior Airman Joshua Magbanua / U.S. Air Force