Airmen from the 2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing trained together while evaluating response and combat operation skills during exercise Bayou Vigilance April 3-12, 2024, at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

“The mission we demonstrated is not just a 2nd Bomb Wing mission,” said Col. Michael Maginness, 2nd Bomb Wing commander. “It is a national mission that we have the honor of executing on behalf of the United States, our Allies, and partners.”

During these exercises Airmen prioritize a high state of readiness, the efficiency and proficiency to solidify the always-ready, global strike capability. As routine training missions, the Vigilance series exercises have an important role in ensuring the safety, security, and dependability of the bomber leg of the U.S. nuclear triad.

“This exercise demonstrated the 2nd Bomb Wing’s ability to rapidly mobilize airpower, stand up nuclear security operations when called upon, and execute the alert mission for an extended period of time,” said Maginness. “With every rep, the Wing is laying the groundwork for future capabilities. The decisions and culture our Airmen put in place now are the cornerstone of Barksdale’s future.”

This iteration of Bayou Vigilance focused on the Air Force’s strategic-air capabilities to prepare Airmen to respond quickly and execute critical missions. Airmen from maintainers and security forces to aircrews tested their safe, yet, rapid response capabilities.

The training not only prepared the wing to stand alert, if needed, to deter or respond to an attack, but also demonstrated the wing’s ability to extend formidable combat force worldwide.

This was the first iteration of the 2024 series of training exercises.

The Bayou Vigilance exercises are scheduled joint training events that take place numerous times throughout each year. They are not planned around or conducted in response to any specific geopolitical conditions or situations.