Barksdale teams awarded best of the best

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katherine Holt
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 2nd Bomb Wing was awarded three Global Strike Challenge trophies during a score posting event held at Hoban Hall, here, Nov. 7.

"We brought you here because you are the best of the best," said Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski, Air Force Global Strike Command commander. "We're trying to give you a big picture and then send you back to your units so you can share with them, not only a keen knowledge of what you do, but also share the message that what you do is very, very important."

The competition began in June and continued through late summer with units from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.; Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and Barksdale. Additional units from Air Combat Command, Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard also competed in this year's events.

The 2 BW winners were teams from the 2nd Security Forces Squadron, 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 2nd Munitions Squadron.

The 2 SFS took home the award for Best Security Forces M240 Crew and ranked number six of the 10 SFS teams competing.

"This is pretty exciting," said Staff Sgt. Jamie Farmer, 2 SFS M240 Global Strike Challenge crew member. "We went into this knowing we were the best out there. We saw it coming."

Hitting moving targets at 1,100 meters with a machine gun was no match for this two-man crew.

"We worked together and came out on top as the best 240 team," said Staff Sgt. Aldo Felici, 2 SFS patrol leader and Security Forces M240 crew member. "We hit every target. I feel honored to represent the bomb wing."

The 2 AMXS's four-man team took the Best Bomber Conventional Load Team trophy.

"Talk about butterflies in your stomach," said Airman 1st Class Carl Scholl, 2nd AMXS weapons load crew and Conventional Load Team member. "It's great to say we are the best in AFGSC."

Pride resonated throughout the team as they reflected on the road that led them to the win.

"All the hard work our guys put in definitely paid off tonight," said Senior Airman Matthew Wallace, 2 AMXS weapons load crew and Conventional Load Team member. "A lot of loading and prep time went into this. We were working in 100 degree weather, but the heat didn't matter. We still took it."

The 2nd Munitions Squadron's 11-man team took home the trophy for the Best Bomber Conventional Munitions Maintenance Team.

"We, as a team, felt pretty confident that we would take home the win," said Master Sgt. Jason Sharp, Bomber Conventional Munitions Maintenance Team lead and currently the 2 MXG quality assurance chief inspector. "But we understood that if anyone else won they deserved it."

In one portion of the challenge 2 MUNS was flawless.

"The two bomb-assembly phases of the competition were recognized by AFGSC as having zero defects," said Sharp. "As the coach, I could not have been more proud for the men and women of the 2 MUNS team, knowing how long they worked and the conditions they worked in to achieve this success. Our team practiced for just over two months in the heat, rain and humidity of the Louisiana summer."

In the end, competitors agreed it wasn't just about winning for the team.

"It feels good to be able to win this, not only for our unit, but for the wing," said Farmer.

With this year's competition behind them, some members are already thinking about next year.

"To all the people competing next year, get ready," said Wallace. "Barksdale has some strong people, and we will come back fighting even harder."

(Additional reporting by Kate Blais Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs)