Team Dyess units compete in 2015 Global Strike Challenge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kedesha Pennant
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 9th Bomb Squadron, 7th Operation Support Squadron, 28th Bomb Squadron and 7th Maintenance Group participated in the fifth annual Global Strike Challenge here July and August 2015.

GSC brings units together across the Air Force in a competition to boost morale, promote unit cohesiveness and determine who are among the best in the bomber, missile, maintenance and security forces career fields. The competition connects heritage and mission, while at the same time recognizing and celebrating the "best of the best" in weapons systems and technical expertise.

The 9th BS, 7th OSS and 28th BS initiated the challenge July 13-16 with a race to drop munitions to a targeted location as quickly and accurately as possible. Obtaining the best flight times required precision in both pre-flight planning and in-route piloting.

The role we played in the scenario involved managing our airspeed and altitude to comply with the set of rules and restrictions placed on us during the competition, said Capt. Calvin Miller, 9th Bomb Squadron pilot. We were also coordinating with air traffic control for airspace deconfliction, managing a formation of two B-1s, backing up the weapon systems officers on our timing and system integrity.

"Getting the bombs on target on time was our overall goal," Miller said. "Between the two B-1s we flew during the competition, all eight pilots had an integral role in mission planning and execution in order to ensure all tasks were accomplished and our bombs actually hit the targets on schedule."

The flying squadrons, in particular, had a lot riding on this year's challenge; last year, the 7th OSS won the Eaker Trophy, designating them the best B-1B squadron in the Air Force.

The 7th MXG continued the challenge Aug. 17, on Dyess' flight line in three timed sub-competitions. The maintainers were scored based upon a weapons load, equipment and tool organization, data management, dress and appearance and a written test. In addition to the aforementioned standards, the munitions crew was evaluated based on a munitions assembly conveyer set-up, an inert-guided bomb unit assembly and a bomb-stacking exercise, which included a trailer-backing and forklift-maneuvering portion.

The competition assesses mission proficiency obtained through each team's time devoted to enhancing their overall performance and training for several weeks.

"I am proud of the opportunity to be a part of this year's Global Strike Challenge, and I believe we did a pretty good job," said Airman 1st Class Kriston Kanemoto, 7th Munitions Squadron GSC forklift spotter. "It's been a great experience, and I'm glad to have worked with remarkable leadership and great teammates."

While Dyess' participation in the challenge is not new, the transition from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command in October makes this year exceptional. The competition serves as an opportunity to showcase the unique abilities wrought by the B-1 and the highly-trained personnel of the 7th Bomb Wing, welcome additions to AFGSC.

After the competitions among the operators, maintainers and defenders at the other Global Strike Bases are complete, the 7th BW will vie for awards ranging from the Fairchild Trophy--designating the best bomber unit in the combine fields of navigation and bombing-- to the Charlie Fire Team Trophy, which indicates the best security forces team within the command.

"It's an honor to be chosen to lead a team of great Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. Tyler Harrill, 7th Munitions Squadron GSC team chief. "There's no better transition to AFGSC than for Dyess to win and announce to our new major command that we're the best and we came to win."

Though the Dyess bomber squadrons have participated in past GSC competitions each year, there's always room for improvement.
"We wanted to set the bar high," Miller said. "In the bomber community, we are all fairly competitive amongst each other, and it's this competition that drives us to get better."

Also for the first time this year, the competition served as a Comprehensive Airmen Fitness event for Team Dyess and encompassed all four pillars: physical, spiritual, mental and social.

Characteristics of CAF are embedded in the competition through awareness, adaptability, communication, teamwork, integrity, conspicuous compliance, perseverance, strength and endurance, said Tech. Sgt. Gregory Johnson, 7th Munitions Squadron line delivery supervisor. Teamwork is critical to every aspect of GSC in order to achieve the team's goal. Factors that can change the course of the competition, such as weather and inoperable equipment, require teammates to be able to adapt and persevere through added pressure.

CAF programs emphasize cultivating resiliency skills, team-building, fitness and communication which GSC drives the competitors to accomplish in their own right. Overall, the competition offers the opportunity to grow as an Airman, both professionally and personally.

The 7th Security Forces Squadron will compete in GSC Sept. 21-25 at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming. After the competition events, a score posting and the announcement of the winners will be live-streamed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, where Global Strike Command is headquartered, to each participating base Oct. 19-22.