509th SFS: Going for it all at Global Strike Challenge Published Sept. 26, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Bryan Crane 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- "We wouldn't go if we didn't expect to win!" These words were spoken by 2nd Lt. Anthony Loden, 509th Security Forces Squadron, days before he and his team headed out to Camp Guernsey, Wyo., for the security forces' portion of the 2012 Air Force Global Strike Challenge. This year's seven-member team has prepared for over a month to take on the rest of the Air Force Global Strike Command security forces teams. "We fully expect to go down there and dominate," Loden said. The SFS team is: · 2nd Lt. Anthony Loden (team captain) · Tech. Sgt. Lilgjay Webb · Staff Sgt. Kyle Douglass · Airman 1st Class Kristofer Walker · Airman 1st Class Daniel Dieckmann · Airman 1st Class Andrew Shoemaker · Airman 1st Class Ryan Wood Loden and the rest of the team departed Sept. 22, believing they had a good chance of winning because their team work is excellent. "We're a really good group together," Webb said. "We drag each other along and we never let each other quit." Knowing that building a winning team isn't easy, Loden put his plan into place during tryouts, with the goal of selecting a team that wouldn't give up, no matter what. "You can make someone a fitness warrior," Loden said. "You can train them into a marksman, but you can't make somebody's attitude, you either have it or you don't. That's what I was looking for during tryouts for this team." Loden's plan worked as team members felt the tryouts were not only physically challenging, but mentally challenging as well. "Our tryouts were extremely intense," said Airman 1st Class Andrew Shoemaker, 509th SFS GSC team member. "We were pushed to our physical and mental limits. That's why I believe our team is so strong because none of us gave up and we will do what it takes to succeed." Staff Sgt. Kyle Douglass, 509th SFS GSC team member, is in his second year on the team and has been key to helping this team train for this year's competition. "Having been there and experiencing everything with how the instructors go about things has helped immensely in our training," Douglass said. "This team has a really good shot at doing better than last year's, they're very driven and goal oriented." Airmen will compete in a shooting competition, tactical operations, and a mental and physical challenge. "The idea is to go in not knowing what each competition is," Loden said. "You don't see the other teams compete, you just go out there and try to accomplish each mission the best you can. We have practiced for each category using a variety of scenarios so we are prepared to take down anything the instructors throw at us." The team has high expectations, skills and the attitude to ensure they bring the Blanchard Trophy home to Whiteman. "We are going to win our portion and Whiteman will win it all," Shoemaker said. "Whiteman Airmen are the definition of warrior excellence." The combined scores and the winners of the Global Strike Challenge will be announced at Barksdale AFB, La., in November.