ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D.-- --
Ellsworth aircrews, maintainers and defenders joined Airmen from across the Air Force to participate in the Global Strike Challenge, a competition designed to demonstrate bomber, missile, helicopter, maintenance and security forces capabilities.
The competition was designed to test tactics, techniques and procedures while enhancing esprit de corps by recognizing crew, team, individual and unit professionalism through a series of events taking place over the past month and culminating with the maintenance portion Sept. 26.
Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Johnson, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron flight chief and maintenance team lead for the base's Global Strike Challenge, said he was excited for this year's competition.
"There are multiple parts of the bomber maintenance section of the competition," Johnson said. "Our munitions team will start the day-long competition building the bombs, next our crew chief team will be judged along with their aircraft, and finally the weapons load team finishes the day loading the bombs."
Each team was judged by Air Force Specialty Code experts from Air Force Global Strike Command headquarters, evaluating Ellsworth's ability to work quickly, effectively, and safely.
"We have been practicing for about 10 weeks," said Senior Airman Richard Brooks, 28th Munitions Squadron conventional maintenance crew chief. "To prepare for the Global Strike Challenge, we started off slow, going step by step through the technical orders, seeking out ways we could improve our time."
Brooks emphasized that the Global Strike Challenge gives Ellsworth the opportunity to show off its capabilities to deploy to a bare base with limited resources, building and loading bombs to execute the mission.
"It [was] going to be challenging," Brooks added. "But, I think we all like a good challenge."
Johnson explained that the maintenance Airmen participating were chosen through weekly competitions over the last several months, ensuring Ellsworth's best were represented. Security Forces held similar competitions to chocse participants for their events.
The 28th Security Forces Squadron was tested on tactics, techniques and procedures firing multiple weapons, in conjunction with a mental and physical challenge course at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., where the teams completed mental tests while enduring strenuous physical activities and combat skills evaluations Sept. 23-25.
"This was a very challenging competition for us," said Master Sgt. Tyler Conner, 28th SFS flight chief and team coach for the Global Strike Challenge. "This was the first one we have taken part in, so we didn't really know how to train for it."
Conner explained that because the 28th SFS team from Ellsworth was the only one from Air Combat Command in the competition, they felt extra pressure to represent ACC well.
"Despite not knowing what to expect, I think we did extremely well." Conner said. "We put forward our best effort, and that's exactly what we wanted to do."
Ellsworth's bomb squadrons provided the final piece of the puzzle, conducting sorties to demonstrate their ability to place to place bombs on target earlier this month.
Aircrew from the 37th and 34th Bomb Squadrons, as well as aviators in the 28th Operations Support Squadron, participated in the sortie portion of the challenge, earning points for how close the bomb was placed to the target, how accurately the bomb was timed to drop and how well the teams communicated with each other.
"Overall, I think the base is hoping to win the Fairchild trophy again," Johnson said. "We won it in 2011, and we want to get it back."
The Fairchild trophy has been awarded to the best bomber unit at every bomb competition since 1951. It is presented to the unit with the highest combined competition scores in operations, security forces and maintenance.
The competition results will be announced at the Air Force Global Strike Command Technology and Innovation Symposium, Nov. 5, at Barksdale AFB, La.