Guardians of America: Silent sentinels roar into life Published April 25, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee 90th Space Wing Public Affairs F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The first leg of the Guardian Challenge for Warren begins here today with testing and scoring of the maintenance and operations teams' skills. The security forces and helicopter squadron teams will test their combat skills at the Guernsey Regional Training Facility April 28 through May 2. "It's like gameday," said Lt. Col. Andrew Kovitch, Warren's Guardian Challenge project officer. "You put a lot of work into something -- in our case, three months of solid training -- before you begin. The teams are confident, but it's still a pre-game mindset. Once the competition starts, then it's on." The challenge incorporates skills essential to ensuring strategic deterrence, Warren's mission, Colonel Kovitch said. Each team will go through a series of scenarios; whether it's a launch facility recapture or vital machinery repair is up to the competition judges. The Warren teams have been training in hopes of winning the Blanchard Trophy for Warren, he said. All space wings under Air Force Space Command compete during the bi-annual Guardian Challenge, but only missile wings have the chance to win the trophy. Warren will compete against teams from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont. "When we take home the trophy, they'll know we are the best of the best," Colonel Kovitch said. However, no one team is more important than another, the colonel said. Each provides a unique function needed for providing a reliable deterrence force. The operations group supplies 24-hour alert crews year-round, he continued. The maintenance group provides missile-ready combat capability. Security forces ensure resources are available. "The challenge is a great opportunity for our Airmen to improve weapons systems knowledge," the colonel said. "And that's what we're in the business to do." Other than bragging rights for two years, winning the Guardian Challenge sets an example for new Airmen to follow, Colonel Kovitch said. That excitement helps the new missileers, cops and maintenance troops appreciate Warren's special part in national security. "If this mission wasn't important, we wouldn't all be here," he continued. The official score posting takes place at Peterson AFB, Colo., May 7 through the 9th, he said. "Our teams have been focusing on what they need to do," Colonel Kovitch said. "They will perform well, and they will win."