North Dakota Air Guard unit named top in nation Published March 29, 2011 By Sgt. Amy Wieser-Wilson North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs MINOT, N.D. -- A North Dakota Air National Guard squadron has been named top in the nation. The 219th Security Forces Squadron, which is stationed at the Minot Air Force Base, received the distinction of 2010 Air National Guard Security Forces Squadron of the Year. That places the unit as the best out of 86 such squadrons in the United States. "Ever since the 219th SFS began, they have been exceeding standards," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general. "Every benchmark they've been asked to meet, they do, oftentimes sooner and at a greater achievement level than expected. These Airmen have a job of great value to our national security, and I'm proud with how they handle the mission and represent the North Dakota National Guard with great pride and integrity." The National Guard Bureau announced the award March 15, and it will be formally presented at a later date. The initial notification came as a certificate that read, in part, "As always, the nomination packages were all extremely competitive, highlighting the amazing work that our Defenders are doing in support of the ANG's local, national and global operations." "This award is a win for the North Dakota Air National Guard and Team Minot," said Lt. Col. Tad Schauer, 219th SFS commander. "The association of the North Dakota Air National Guard with the Air Force Global Strike Command's 91st Missile Wing continues to strengthen the nuclear enterprise. I am extremely proud of the professionalism, dedication and performance of all members of the 219th SFS who ensure the continued success of this mission day in and day out. It is a team effort that constantly displays our commitment to excellence." Next, the 219th SFS will be compared to units across the entire Air Force to see which will be named the Air Force Security Forces Squadron of the Year. "This award resulted from the dedicated efforts and an unthinkably high operations tempo from all the facets of this unit, including supply, commander's support staff, medical, education/training and recruiting/retention," said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Schreiner, security forces manager for the 219th SFS. "They all play an instrumental role in the unit's success." With about 140 Airmen assigned, the 219th SFS is the second-largest security forces squadron in the Air National Guard; the 105th Security Forces Squadron in New York is the largest. The 219th reached full strength three months sooner than expected. "Our members really go above and beyond the normal requirements tasked to a unit," said Master Sgt. Lonnie Ballweg, 219th SFS senior medical technician. "We are always under the microscope and are subject to inspection at any time. We do not operate knowing that an inspection will take place a year or so in advance. These Airmen, at any given time, can and are subject to no-notice inspections to test their knowledge and the unit's management of personnel reliability program." The PRP's success was among the lengthy list of accomplishments that contributed to the award. The 219th SFS is the first and only Air National Guard unit nationwide to have been validated for the Department of Defense-mandated program. All members of the squadron must qualify in this intensive program, which ensures that only Airmen who have demonstrated reliability and professional competence are placed in these mission-critical positions. No other unit besides the 219th has ever used the program to certify drill-status guardsmen. The program's success also contributed to the 219th SFS' medical team being named the best Air National Guard medical unit in Air Force Global Strike Command just a few months ago. Last year, the 219th SFS also passed its first nuclear surety inspection, which made it the first National Guard unit to ever receive a "READY" rating from Air Force Global Strike Command. It is the only nuclear-certified unit in the Air National Guard.