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Team Malmstrom announces Global Strike Challenge competitors

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Team Malmstrom celebrated the kickoff of the annual Global Strike Challenge at the Grizzly Bend July 29.

Col. Robert Stanley, 341st Missile Wing vice commander; 1st Lt. Shane Powell, 12th Missile Squadron missile combat crew commander; and Malstrom's mascot, Road Kill, pumped up the crowd with words of encouragement for the Airmen participating in the upcoming competition.

Between 300 and 400 Airmen were hand-selected from Global Strike Command wings to showcase their specific duties in hopes of claiming the prestigious Blanchard Trophy.

"The objectives of Global Strike Challenge are simple: showcase the world's premier bomber and ICBM forces, foster esprit de corps through competition and teamwork, recognize the outstanding personnel in this command and improve our combat capability across the Nuclear Enterprise," said Lt. Col. Craig Ramsey, 12th Missile Squadron commander. "The 341st Missile Wing has a tradition of excellence in competitions like these and we expect nothing less from this year's team."

Selected to represent the Helo team are Capt. Leo Gracik, aircraft commander and overall helo point of contact; Capt.Michael Scott, co-pilot; and Senior Airman Michael Frank, flight engineer.

The second group is the operations squadron team.

From the 10th Missile Squadron are Capt. Megan Steele and 2nd Lt. Brianne Seymour.

From the 12th Missile Squadron are 1st Lts. Adam Hamlin and Zack Kushner.

From the 490th Missile Squadron are 1st Lts. John Malek and Matt Ditson.

The alternate crew is 1st Lt. Jordan Tabayoyon and 1st Lt. Dan Hejde. The trainers are Capt. Adam Sears and 1st Lt. Brian Marlow.

The next group is the Maintainers, which is comprised of four teams.

Overall maintenance point of contact is Master Sgt. Mike Schmidt.

Selected to represent the MMT team are Staff Sgt. Josh Beatty, Staff Sgt. Josh Leopardi, Staff Sgt. Justin Richie, team chief; Senior Airman Reno Cabrera and Senior Airman Rory Marckeese. The trainers are Tech. Sgt. Sheldon Mason and Staff Sgt. Tom Shugart.

Selected to represent the E-lab team are Tech. Sgt. Rickey Cascell, trainer; Staff Sgt. Nicky Cash, team chief; and Senior Airman Cody Ryder.

From the PREL team are Staff Sgt. Dwayne Starling, trainer; Tech. Sergeant Carl Snedeker, team chief; and Staff Sgt. Paul Mantel.

From the MAPS team are Staff Sgt. Robert Richards, trainer; Staff Sgt. Robert Jovin, team chief; Senior Airman Tyrell Bridgeforth, and alternate team member Senior Airman Joshua Woods.

Selected to represent security forces are Capt. Mike Cheatham, overall SF POC; 1st Lt. Andrew Stolten, 1st Lt. Justin Whitford, Tech. Sgt. Todd Vidic, Staff Sgt. Dustin Taylor, and Airman 1st Class Brainard Moor.

"These teams are going to be working hard between now and their evaluation dates-mid-September for OPS and maintenance, and early November for the defenders," Stanley said. "They will need your encouragement and support to pull this off. If you have any questions about the tradition of excellence and winning in competition, just look at that sign on your right as you drive onto base- 'Welcome to Blanchard Trophy Country'...and all those years of being #1!"