Blanchard, Blackburn back again; Williams, Moorman also awarded to Malmstrom

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  "In all the years I've been involved with Guardian Challenge, I have never seen anything like this," said Col. Sandy Finan, 341st Space Wing commander. "Friday night has to rank as one of the proudest moments of my career."

Friday night (May 9) was when all the wings in Air Force Space Command gathered their Guardian Challenge teams together at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., for the score posting and awards ceremony following this year's competition.

Monday's welcome home ceremony at the Grizzly Bend Club here was a re-creation, of sorts, of that night.

One by one, their commanders called them forward, they accepted the applause of the crowd and then placed their hardware on the stage. When all was said and done, 59 of the trophies Malmstrom brought home were lined up front and center for all to see. Those missing belong to team members unable to attend the ceremony because of mission responsibilities.

"It is a privilege and honor for me to be here today to recognize the Operations Group team members for an outstanding job," said Lt. Col. David Bliesner, 341st OG deputy commander.

They received the Best ICBM Helo Operations Crew and Best ICBM Missile Operations Crew awards. The helicopter crew competed in a hoist employment scenario and a flight scenario. The operations crew matched their skill and knowledge against one another in a scenario testing their ability to respond to weapon system malfunctions, security and maintenance activities and emergency war order procedures.

Col. Steve Asher, 341st Security Forces Group commander, followed. His four-person team competed in combat marksmanship and an endurance course and was subsequently named the Best 20th AF Security Forces Team. 1st Lt. Joseph Schneider was an M-203 gunner and managed to hit all five targets during his scenario. Staff Sgt. Johnathan Van Nevel scored two confirmed kills and 2 more potential kills during a tactics scenario. Senior Airman Billy Briggs scored the most push-ups - 67 in one minute - following a two-mile run in the endurance course. Senior Airman Chris Stephens shot perfect with the M-9, scoring 24 targets in 57 seconds.

"By far this is one of the best performances and top honors for the group," Colonel Asher said. "Winning best in 20th was also very special but the highlight was contributing to the wing winning the overall Blanchard."

Col. Deborah Kirkhuff, 341st Maintenance Group commander, who had the largest number of competitors on the overall team, was next.

"We were so sure we were going to bring the Blackburn Trophy back again, we didn't even bother to take it (to Peterson) with us," Colonel Kirkhuff joked.

Along with the third Blackburn Award, the maintenance teams also won the Best Missile Radio Team, Best Mechanical and Pneudraulics Team, Best Missile Maintenance Team, and overall Best Maintenance Group in AFSPC.

"Back-to-back Blackburn Trophies speaks not only to the competitive excellence of our maintainers, but to their dedicated excellence day in and day out while maintaining our nation's strategic deterrent force," Colonel Kirkhuff said.

Just as they waited until the end Friday night to announce the winner of the Blanchard Trophy, Col. Finan reclaimed the microphone and proudly called for the Blanchard to be brought into the room.

Cheers of "back-to-back" led by Grizz, the Malmstrom mascot, resonated through the club as the trophy was carried in and placed in the center of the rest of the trophies on stage. Malmstrom also had back-to-back wins in 1990 an 1991 as well as in 1998 and 1999.

"There were only three awards Malmstrom was eligible for that they did not win this year," said Lt. Col. Dave Bunz, Officer in Charge for Guardian Challenge 2008. "It was a great night to be from Malmstrom."

"It is just absolutely amazing to me that all these trophies came home with our blue jackets," Colonel Finan said. "This has been the most incredible week of my life. It is my honor and privilege to serve with you every day."

Editor's Note: Eariler in the week during the Commander Conference, AFSPC Commander Gen. C. Robert Kehler, announced that Malmstrom had also won the Williams Trophy for being the best ICBM wing in the command and the Moorman Trophy for being the best wing in the command. These awards were separate from the Guardian Challenge awards.