93rd and 11th Bomb Squadrons take home GSC hardware

  • Published
  • 307th Bomb Wing

The 93rd Bomb Squadron won the Linebacker Trophy for best B-52 Stratofortress Squadron and their active-duty counterparts at the 11th BS won the Bartsch Trophy for best electronic countermeasures at the Global Strike Challenge 21 award ceremony here last Wednesday.

The two units work together in a Total Force Integration (TFI) structure as the Air Force's B-52 Formal Training Unit, responsible for all initial and requalification training for the platform's aircrew. The 307th Bomb Wing spearheads FTU efforts.

"I think the awards illustrate the quality and caliber of instructor we have in the FTU and speaks highly to the TFI we have between the two units," said Lt. Col. Aaron Hedrick, 93rd Bomb Squadron commander.

Hedrick also pointed out the 93rd BS team included FTU instructors from the 307th Operations Support Squadron.

The aircrew consisted of Lt. Col. Aaron Bohl, Maj. John Mullins, and Maj. Mark Budgeon of the 307th OSS.  Maj. Ryan Allen, Maj. Austin Fouts, and Maj. Christopher Cousler comprised the 93rd BS portion of the team.

This year, every B-52 Squadron in the Air Force vied for the Linebacker Trophy. The competition involved both real-world scenarios and written exams designed to test the limits of each crew's capabilities. The competition assessed every area of a B-52 combat mission, including planning, bomb drop, and electronic warfare measures.

Bohl said the determining factor in this year's competition was experience.

"We've worked on B-52 continuously for years, said Bohl. It helps to have that kind of experience in the airframe."

The 93rd BS  is no stranger to the winner's circle at the Global Strike Challenge. The unit won Best B-52 Squadron in 2011 and 2014. 

The biennial Global Strike Challenge highlights Airmen's nuclear lethality and readiness within Air Force Global Strike Command. Additionally, it fosters a culture of excellence by recognizing the best in the command.

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