Whiteman presents the 709th MUNS Global Strike Challenge team

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Montse Belleau
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Munitions systems Airmen are trained to inspect assemble and transport munitions on a daily basis, and this year the 709th Munitions Team will have an opportunity to showcase their skills during the Air Force Global Strike challenge.

The 709th Munitions Team said they are "supremely confident in winning the challenge."

Airman 1st Class Justin Cunningham elaborated by saying "we have great leadership, great supervision and great trainers. We've been trained very well, so we will do great in the challenge."

This is the first year the 709th MUNS team will compete in the Global Strike challenge, since they were recently added to the command. The members, who were hand-picked to compete, are team chiefs Tech. Sgt. Brian Galster and Staff Sgt. Eric Eldred, and team members Airmen 1st Class Justin Cunningham, Gabriel Yazdzik, and Seth Elam.

Cunningham said they have been training for three months for the competition, which starts Sept. 5.

"We train for this, but when it comes down to it, training isn't really necessary because that's just the way we operate 365 days a year," Galster said. "It's just what we do for a living, and that's perfection."

Elam said he is 100 percent confident they will get the victory and bring home the gold.

"We have been flawless and perfect in everything that we've done since we have been a unit here," Galster said. "We have won countless plaques, superior team and superior team awards in every major inspection we've had."

All the members in their squadron are all knowledgeable and leadership trains them to be the best they can. Furthermore, leadership stresses the standards and expectations we all hold ourselves to, day-in and day-out, Galster added.

This knowledge and preparation makes their team believe the competition will just be "first-place losers," according to Cunningham.

The Global Strike competition, which the 709th MUNS is certain they will win, consists of a receipt verification inspection on a nuclear weapon, a transfer tie-down operation unto a 40-foot trailer which then will be transported from the maintenance facility to the storage structure, according to Galster.

In addition to the hands-on part of the competition, the members also have a written test and go in front of a dress and appearance board. Evaluators will test the teams on proficiency and knowledge level, and in case of a tie between two teams, the fastest time will win.

Galster said the MUNS motto and their motivation during the competition is "when all else fails, nuke them," as he laughed.

(Editor's note: This is part three in a four-part series highlighting the 509th Maintenance Group's Air Force Global Strike challenge team)