12th MS Red Dawgs edge-out competition in first Ops Warrior Challenge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Airmen of the 12th Missile Squadron were announced the overall winners of Team Malmstrom's first Operations Warrior Challenge Aug. 6 during a score-posting dinner held at the Grizzly Bend Community Center.

The score posting, hosted by Lt. Col. Lloyd Buzzell, 341st Operations Support Squadron commander, followed two days of events that pitted Airmen from the 490th, 10th and 12th Missile Squadrons, as well as the 40th Helicopter Squadron, against one another in myriad events related to the daily tasks of Airmen assigned to the 341st Operations Group.

"This score posting culminates a week of strenuous competition, and it was ideal for wing leadership and our families to have attended this event," said Col. Mohammed Khan, 341st Operations Group commander. "This year's event will now be an annual [event] - it has most certainly and inevitably paved the way for the 341st Missile Wing to win Air Force Global Strike Command's inaugural Global Strike Challenge 2010."

During more serious events in the competition, missileers were charged with competing in missile-procedure trainer rides and completing written tests concerning their command and control of the Minuteman III ICBMs assigned to them.

Airmen of the 40th Helicopter Squadron joined the challenge as three separate aircrews representing each respective missile squadron. In the spirit of camaraderie, a fourth crew member, a missileer, was also on board each helicopter.

"It was great to see the mission of one of our sister squadrons," said 2nd Lt. Nolan Vaughan, 12th MS deputy combat crew commander. "After going out with them into their area of operations, my respect for them is solidified."

Lieutenant Vaughan said that in addition to learning a great deal about the helicopter squadron, he enjoyed his chance to aid the aircrew by being hoisted as a mock patient. The missileer also helped the crew locate 2 foot by 2 foot orange squares placed on the ground in the mountains, each representing lost personnel.

"They spotted a lot of them," Lieutenant Vaughan said. "I was having a hard time keeping up with them -- you could really see their training come through."

After simulating search-and-rescue operations, the teams returned to base and conducted hoist operations, targeting 50-gallon drums with their airframe's hoist. After demonstrating their accuracy with the hoist, each aircrew safely lowered and raised their missileer -- who are generally found in launch control capsules underground, not dangling from helicopters - down to the ground, then skyward into their aircraft.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Lt. Vaughan said of his 40-foot ride on the hoist. "I wish [missileers] had more opportunities like this to see what others do around us - I really enjoyed the ride."
A few light-hearted events were also held. One put blind-folded missile chefs and trusting facility managers to the test during a timed cooking-and-eating contest. The chefs were led to a table with various sandwich ingredients including bread, lunch meat, ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce. A squeeze bottle of grape jelly was mixed in with the other condiments. Each facility manager was required to eat the sandwich in its entirety.

Other events included a driving course, requiring participants to navigate a cone course in reverse, change a flat tire and operate the safety office's Skid Monster, a vehicle modified to simulate driving on ice.

A shooting competition was held as well. Ops Warriors fired M4 carbines in the EST 2000, a weapon simulator that uses large video screens and real weapons modified to recoil, malfunction and respond like a real weapon.

During the score posting itself, the missile squadrons competed in Ops Warrior Jeopardy, taking on questions that ranged from the price of an order of tater-tots at a MAF, to completing common motivational phrases coined by their leadership.

A chili cook-off was also held and required each contestant to use the secret ingredient "chocolate." Tech. Sgt. Scott Devore, 12th MS facility manager, took top honors in this event.

The final scores, out of a possible 2,800 points were: 12th MS, 2,156; 10th MS, 2,053; and the 490th MS, 2,041.

After Colonel Buzzell announced the winner, Col. Anthony Cotton, 341st Missile Wing commander, addressed the audience in attendance at the score posting to congratulate the 12th MS and affirm his vision of what it means to be a Malmstrom Airman.

"We are bringing a lot of camaraderie to this base," he said. "I see it before me, whether you're in a back shop, on line, a maintainer, a cop or in a support role - it takes everybody to make this wing strong.
"I'm absolutely proud to see the number of folks here to support their squadrons and to support each other because that's what it means to be a member of Wing One."