Global Strike Challenge: Whiteman showcases bomber skills

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody H. Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Integrated teams from the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings participated in the bomb build and load portion of Air Force Global Strike Command Global Strike Challenge here Aug. 4 and 5.

The challenge brings operations, maintenance and security forces teams from bomber and missile wings together in competition to be the best-of-the-best. All units supporting the
AFGSC mission have been invited to compete through November showcasing their expertise, skills and capabilities.

"Global Strike Challenge reflects our emphasis on excellence," said Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski, Air Force Global Strike Command commander. "Additionally, this competition helps develop elite, highly disciplined Airmen, builds esprit de corps and gives us an opportunity to recognize the 'cream of the crop' Airmen performing our mission."

More than 450 Airmen will take part in Global Strike Challenge competitions at various locations throughout the country, culminating in a symposium and score posting event at Barksdale Air Force Base in November.

Whiteman continued the competition Aug. 4 and 5 when they participated in the bomb build and bomb load timed trials.

Members of 509th Munitions Squadron and 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron who made up the build team were tasked with bomb builds varying in size and quantity to exercise the unit's abilities. There were three portions to the build: a timed build of a munitions assembly conveyor, the building of 12 GBU-31V1 and 6 GBU-31V1 trainer bombs, and finally the building of 42 500-pound MK-82 training bombs. The team had a maximum of 60 minutes to build the MAC, two and a half hours for the second build and one hour for the final build.

Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Reeves, 509th Munitions Squadron superintendent, said the squadron coordinated with AFGSC on the rules prior to the event, so the team could gauge where they needed to be for the competition and what level they needed to perform at.

"A lot of work and long hours went into our preparation for the challenge," Reeves added. "We had to prep the equipment, test serviceability and review the technical manuals which are very specific on how we can build the (training) bombs during the competition."

The munitions Airmen weren't the only ones training for the challenge. Each loader team supporting Whiteman, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron for the conventional load and 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron for the simulated nuclear load, prepared well in advance for competition day.

"My team prepped for the competition by practicing the load a couple times a week in the weeks leading the challenge," Master Sgt. Dan Herron, 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and load-team lead said.

The load consisted of putting on Tamper Detection Indicators in the cockpit, prepping the jet for the RLA, accepting and inspecting the RLA and Bombs, prepping the trailer for loading, loading the RLA into the jet, getting the 204 trailer prepped for ammo to tow it, and finally completing the Forms, according to Herron.

Herron said he was proud of his load crew, "I knew they were looking forward to competing and they showed that they are some of the best loaders during the competition."

The challenge is an opportunity throughout the command for specialists to come to each base and test their specific abilities on the conventional and nuclear side.

"Our capabilities here, with the B-2 Spirit, are global," Reeves noted. "We can fly from here and drop bombs anywhere in the world which gives us a lot of reach and responsibility."

Reeves said this competition helped Team Whiteman stay fresh and confident in their bomber capabilities, which is important considering the caliber of their every-day mission.

"The 509th BW is the best thing since TV and twice as entertaining," said Sergeant Campbell, 509th MUNS and challenge team member.

The 509th and 131st Operations Groups competed in their portion of the challenge in July and the 509th Security Forces Squadron will compete in November.

Official score-posting will be at Barksdale Nov. 8-9, in conjunction with the symposium at the Shreveport Convention Center.

The following is a complete list of those who represented Team Whiteman Aug. 4 and 5 in the three Global Strike Challenge categories; weapons build and conventional and nuclear loads.

The Global Strike Challenge weapons-build team was:

Tech. Sgt. Jonathon Burkhart, 131st Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jonathon Calhoun, 509th Munitions Squadron
Staff Sgt. Tyler Campbell, 509th MUNS
Staff Sgt. Chris Wark, 509th MUNS
Airman 1st Class Nathan Farris, 509th MUNS
Senior Airman Will Childress, 509th MUNS
Airman 1st Class James Vincent, 509th MUNS
Senior Airman Jake McNulty, 509th MUNS
Senior Airman Levi Poe, 509th MUNS
Senior Airman Ronald Dunmyer, 509th MUNS
Airman 1st Class Tommy Dairy, 509th MUNS
Airman 1st Class Erik Jacobson, 509th MUNS

The Global Strike Challenge conventional-load team was:

Staff Sgt. Daniel Leasher, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Staff Sgt. Joseph Dubose, 509th AMXS
Senior Airman Joseph McCoy, 509th AMXS
Senior Airman Justin Trumbull, 509th AMXS

The Global Strike Challenge nuclear-load team was:

Master Sgt. Daniel Herron, 131st AMXS
Tech. Sgt. John Haynes, 131st AMXS
Senior Airman Stephan Capkovic, 131st AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Zach Dapron, 131st AMXS