Photo By Senior Airman Melany Bermudez | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Turgeon, left, 18th Munitions Squadron stockpile...... read more read more
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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – The 18th Munitions Squadron Airmen came together to ask Kadena Chiefs questions while they ate spicy hot wings during an Airman development event, March 18, 2025.
Airman development days occur quarterly at the 18th MUNS, where leaders provide time to the junior enlisted for mentorship and downtime. For this specific event, Airmen participated in a hot wings challenge with U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief, and Chief Master Sgt. James Toombs, 18th Maintenance Group senior enlisted leader.
Throughout the event, participants ate chicken wings that got progressively spicier with each question, creating a relaxed environment for mentorship and learning. Volunteers posed questions about life experiences, Airmanship and personal advice, goals and beliefs.
“The main thing we try to do is give [18th MUNS Airmen] the developmental piece they sometimes miss due to their workload,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Edward Love, 18th MUNS senior munitions inspector “We have so many different work centers out here. So they're all coming together in one room, meeting new people, and making those connections.”
Chief Master Sgt. Toombs expressed how much he appreciated participating in the event and the opportunity to reconnect with Airmen. By eating the hot wings with them, he hoped to demonstrate that the members of Kadena’s leadership are approachable and Airmen should feel they can ask them questions about themselves.
You're the guys that actually make things move. And when we sit around the table in the morning and in the evening and talk, we're just talking about the work you guys did,” said Toombs. “That’s not lost on me, so I’m very appreciative and grateful to the fact that you guys are out here working through it in the rain, the heat and humidity.”
Wolfgang talked with the Airmen about how crucial they are to Kadena’s mission, emphasizing that the 18th MUNS provides Kadena and transient aircraft with live munitions necessary for continuing to deter adversaries and assure regional allies of the 18th Wing’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“I love chicken wings, but more importantly, I love looking at you guys in the face and talking about whatever's on your mind and giving you my perspective, whether it's from the wing command chief perspective, my experience as an Airmen, or just as a husband and a father,” said Wolfgang. “I value these conversations immensely.”
The Chiefs and Airmen finished the Airman development day strong, taking on the final challenge together, wings covered in a 2,693,000 Scoville Heat Unit sauce, made with Pepper X, the world's hottest pepper.
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2025 02:47 |
| Story ID: | 494436 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Burning Questions with 18th MUNS, by SrA Melany Bermudez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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