Meet your GSC teams: 91st Operations Group

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Apryl Hall
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The 91st Operations Group has chosen their missile operations teams for the 2014 Global Strike Challenge. Three teams represent each squadron; the 740th Missile Squadron, the 741st MS and the 742nd MS. A fourth team, comprised of one individual from the 740th MS and another from the 741st MS, was chosen as an alternate team.

742nd MS missile combat crew members 1st Lt. Kristofer Riedman and 2nd Lt. Ronald Nguyen were chosen by scoring highest on a 23-question test, in which they had 15 minutes to complete. Their quick knowledge is key to preparing for the challenge.

"I heard it's going to be one of the roughest rides we're ever going to take, but our instructors are preparing us well and we'll do our best to win this competition," Nguyen said.

Representing the 741st MS are 1st Lt. Victoria Fort and 2nd Lt. Emily Gill. With their current training regimen combined with past successes, Fort and Gill are confident in their abilities to compete.

"We won the Blanchard two years ago, last time they had a Global Strike Challenge," Gill said. "We have a lot of great trainers that were previous competitors, so I think we have a really good chance."

The team competing for the 740th MS includes 1st Lt. Jesse Haskett and 1st Lt. Tom Keim. To prepare for the competition, in addition to pulling several extra alerts, they studied in the classroom and trained for certain "war-like" scenarios, which is what the competition is comprised of.

"I think we have a good chance to be competitive, not just as a team, but as an entire wing," Haskett said.

1st Lt. Andrew Parthum of the 741st MS and 2nd Lt. John Leroy of the 740th MS were chosen as the alternate team. In the event one of the other teams is unable to compete, they will step in and take that team's place in the competition.

"Global Strike Challenge, for me, is really beneficial to my missile career because it will help me learn at a faster pace," Leroy said. "I'm really excited to participate and learn a lot."