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JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- There’s no rush, just careful precision.
Before every mission, 628th Security Forces Squadron Defenders line up to receive their firearms: M4A1 carbine rifles, pistols, or specialized gear.
The 628th SFS armories are manned 24/7 ensuring weapons are always accounted for and ready to arm Defenders and aircrew in any situation.
“We have two armories at Joint Base Charleston, one on the Air Base and one on the Naval Weapons Station,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Charles Troutman, 628th SFS armory noncommissioned officer in charge. “We issue out all the weapons for daily flight operations to include the harbor patrol unit, the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command and, depending on the day and mission, the aerial squadrons.”
The 628th SFS armorers are responsible for maintaining, securing and distributing weapons and specialized gear, all while adhering to strict security and safety protocols. Protocols like ensuring the chamber is clear of rounds before distributing or receiving weapons into the armories.
“The attention to detail is hands down the most important because every piece of equipment must be accounted for,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. William Taylor, 628th SFS Combat Arms and Training, and armories section chief. “If somebody didn't account for something then we have to go down the paper trail and track it down.”
The armories are the steady hand keeping Defenders prepared and their weapons and gear reliable. It’s a job done with quiet efficiency, but its impact is felt far beyond the locked doors of the armories.
“You can do all the planning you want, all the exercises and operations you want or support whatever mission you want,” said Taylor. “But without the armories, Defenders and aircrew can’t gear up or complete those missions.”
As deployments ramp up and mission parameters change, the armories adapt. Whether it’s outfitting Defenders for base defense or preparing aircrew for missions, the armories ensure Airmen and Mission Partners have the right tools for the job, TERRA AER AQUA.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2024 17:29 |
| Story ID: | 482586 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 6 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Weapons, Accountability, and Readiness: Inside the Air Force Armory, by SrA Caleb Parker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
