Space, missile competition set to launch

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  The 30th Space Wing here will hold Guardian Challenge 2004, the largest test of space and missile warfighting skills outside of real-world operations, May 2 to 7.

Nearly 200 competitors from around Air Force Space Command will test their mettle here in the Air Force’s only space and missile competition.

The 37th year of Guardian Challenge reinforces an inherent tenet of the competition: To improve readiness and combat capabilities, officials said.

Maj. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, 14th Air Force commander, said that this year is no different from any other, and he credits space and missile warfighters of past competitions with establishing a dedication to refining mission procedures.

“The training and preparation for this competition builds upon the expertise and warrior spirit developed over the years by thousands of space and missile professionals,” General Hamel said. “(Competitors) will take the lessons learned back to their wings and apply them to our missions.”

Competitors are making final preparations and fine-tuning their procedures before traveling here for the competition week. Evaluations of space operations and maintenance disciplines are being conducted at each command base, but security forces, missile operations, missile maintenance, communications, helicopter and chef competitions all will be evaluated here.

“This is Air Force Space Command’s time of the year to show our combat capabilities to the world,” said Col. Robert Keyser, chief of the command’s operations training and evaluation division and this year’s competition commander. “Everyone is extremely fired up to show how good they are and to experience the camaraderie and esprit de corps of the world’s premiere space and missile force.”

One new addition to Guardian Challenge is the major command integration program. Command officials invited a representative from each Air Force major command to embed with a competing team. The representative will live with the team, see them in competition, participate in team morale events and gain an overall flavor for the AFSPC mission, Colonel Keyser said.