Exercises send global messages: Deter and assure

by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/12/2013 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La.  -- Throughout 2013, members of the "Mighty Deuce" successfully completed 11 base exercises, four scheduled inspections and two no-notice inspections in order to provide a combat ready force and meet the Air Force Global Strike Command vision of, "American Airmen with special trust and responsibility for the most powerful weapons in our Nation's arsenal... an elite, highly disciplined team... a model command."

Base exercises and inspections are designed to ensure Barksdale and its mission partners are prepared to carry out any of its missions.

"The 2nd BW has three mission sets: nuclear, conventional and expeditionary," said Lt. Col. Charles Bailey, 2nd BW Inspector General. "The nuclear mission set is our primary focus, but we have to be able to execute any of the three, or combinations of them, with little notice. Only through constant training and rigorous self-inspection of all of our capabilities can we maintain the required level of readiness."

Exercises are particularly valuable for Airmen new to Barksdale, especially those new to Barksdale. Airman 1st Class Ethan Stepp, Aerospace Ground Equipment apprentice, performed his role in the exercise just one week after moving to the base.

"When I moved here, we were working 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., five days a week," Stepp said. "I was still in the training phase. We moved to 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week the second week I arrived."

Stepp didn't face the exercise alone and was able to receive plenty of guidance from his coworkers.

"I had a lot of help from everyone in the flight," Stepp said. "Since I was the newest Airman they explained things to me and were able to help me with anything I needed. It was also great training experience. I was able to pick up job skills much faster than I would have on normal shifts."

By successfully performing so many exercises and inspections in a year, Stepp and the rest of Barksdale send a clear message to friend and foe alike.

"For the American people, the message is that the Air Force is ready and able to keep them safe and preserve America's interests abroad," Bailey said. "For our allies, the message is that the United States is a good, strong and capable friend to have. For any potential adversaries, the message is that there is no benefit to threatening the United States or her allies, and there will be a fearsome cost."

While all exercises and inspections for this year are complete, planning has already begun for 2014 exercises and every Airman has a role.

"The number of exercises is numerous, but they're a great method of practicing what we train for on a daily basis," said Maj. Erik Tarnanen, 2nd BW Chief of plans and exercises. "Each Airman performs the best job possible and it has showed with two outstanding inspection results during critical inspections."

Barksdale continues to perform base exercises and inspections because the cost of not performing them could have drastic results.

"We would have to wait until the next conflict to find out how much we had taken for granted," Bailey said. "The 2nd BW mission requires a team effort. It's through practice that we learn how to work together, and that's the difference between success and failure."

Because failure is not an option, Barksdale Airmen learn from every shortcoming, to ensure mistakes are not repeated.

"Every Airman is responsible for the wing's success," said Bailey. "The 2nd Bomb Wing is a learning organization that incorporates lessons each time we exercise, but it takes Airmen performing at their best to meet the objective."