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Omaha Trophy returns to Malmstrom Air Force Base

Trophy is awarded to the best missile wing in the U.S.
Posted at 3:24 PM, Sep 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-05 00:52:05-04

MALMSTROM AFB — Malmstrom Air Force Base was awarded the coveted Omaha Trophy for 2018.

“To win it back means a great deal,” Colonel Chris Menuey, 341st Operations Group Commander, said.

The 341st Missile Wing won the trophy for being the best missile wing in the United States Strategic Command.

“Malmstrom Air Force Base is a recipient of the Omaha Trophy signifying their performance throughout the course of the entire year as the best missile wing across the entire United States military,” Vice Admiral Dave Kriete, U.S. Strategic Command Deputy Commander, said.

Wednesday, members at Malmstrom Air Force Base were presented with the prestigious award.

“It’s demonstrating that our airmen, every single airman across the base, their commitment, dedication to this mission to be ready 24/7, to have that responsive combat capability, that’s what it means for this wing. It’s our mission and they do it exceptionally well,” Menuey said.

The Omaha Trophy was created by the Strategic Command Consultation Committee in 1971. At the time, a single trophy was presented annually as a token of appreciation to the command’s best wing.

There are five categories for the Omaha Trophy.

“One of those categories is to the best intercontinental ballistic missile wing. Strategic deterrence is the primary mission of strategic command. In that mission our goal is pretty simple. It’s really to convince any potential adversary today or in the future that they should never get to a point where they consider crossing that line and conducting strategic attacks or choosing to do harm to the United States or our allies,” Kriete said.

These men and women work twenty-four-seven, 365 days a year to make sure the missiles are ready to respond.

“There’s several things we do daily to make sure our command and control works effectively and that our missiles are ready to respond. [For example} The missile test launch that we occasionally do taken out to Vandenberg,” Menuey said. “That’s roughly a month-long process between pulling the missile from here. Taking it down to Vandenberg Air Force Base, refitting it with some safety features and actually conducting a launch out there to make sure our missiles are accurate. That’s probably one of the greatest demonstrations to our allies. The weapons system that we have is prompt ready and accurate.”

“They know what we’re made of. They know what we’re willing to do to defend the U.S., defend our allies and our way of life,” Kriete said. “And that all comes together right here at Malmstrom with the men and women, military and civilians, right here at 341st.”

The work at the 341st missile wing has not gone unnoticed. The wing has won awards in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018 and their very first time winning was 1993.