The 3rd Annual Global Strike Challenge less than a month away

by Kate Blais
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

10/12/2012 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The competitions are complete and preparations are under way for teams to come and be recognized as "best of the best" at the third-annual Global Strike Challenge symposium and score posting Nov. 5 - 7 at Barksdale AFB.

Kicking off in June, the challenge involved teams from across Air Force Global Strike Command, as well as the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, Air Combat Command and Air Force Materiel Command. Operations, maintenance and security forces teams from bomber and missile wings participated in bomber, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, helicopter and security forces challenges throughout the country, showcasing excellence and expertise in each field.

"This was the third year that we've held Global Strike Challenge and we've hit our stride in making the competition an event the crewmembers, maintainers and security forces not only look forward to but take great pride in," said Lt. Col. Michael Petrosh, the 2012 Global Strike Challenge command lead. "This year we encouraged each of the mission area evaluators to make the competition events more difficult while ensuring that the competition tests real-world skills."

The theme of this year's two day AFGSC Technology and Innovation Symposium, to be held at the Shreveport Convention Center, is "Strategic Challenges, Practical Solutions."
Scheduled speakers include defense analysts addressing national policy and Global Strike's role; university educators covering topics from nuclear deterrence and homeland defense to the psychology of decision-making; as well as Global Strike and other Air Force leadership. This event will reach globally with invited guests from the Russian, Canadian, French and Royal British militaries.

"The competition continues to be extremely important because it allows our young operators, maintainers and security forces to showcase their talents by refining their skills in a competitive event," Petrosh said.

The head-to-head competition is meant to recapture the spirited heritage of Global Strike Command. In 1948, Strategic Air Command announced its first bomber competition with the intent of focusing on improving bombing accuracy and aircrew proficiency. The competition continued for several decades, eventually incorporating weapons loading and missile combat contests, until the command deactivated in 1992.

The tradition continues today as elite teams of pilots, weapon loaders, missileers and security forces personnel descend on the Shreveport-Bossier area to learn the winners of the coveted team trophies: the Fairchild Trophy for best bomb wing and the Blanchard Trophy for the best missile wing. Winners are selected based on the combined competition scores in the mission areas of operations.

"When we put these professionals into a competitive environment we develop a pride in not only their Air Force specialty but also in their unit," said Petrosh. "By challenging themselves to be the very best they raise the bar for all the other members in their unit and career field."

For more information about Global Strike Challenge visit the event website. For updates from the event follow, @AFGlobalStrike, #GSChallenge12 on Twitter. Updates will also be posted on the Command's official Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AirForceGlobalStrikeCommand.