MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Global Thunder 25, the most recent iteration of U.S. Strategic Command’s annual field training and command and control exercise, concluded at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, on Oct. 24.
Global Thunder exercises are annual Department of Defense training opportunities designed to train forces and assess joint operational readiness and are not held in response to current real-world events.
GT25 provided training opportunities and exercise scenarios for all USSTRATCOM mission areas, with a specific focus on nuclear readiness. Airmen and B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, integrated with 5th Bomb Wing Airmen to assess their readiness on the installation while 91st Missile Wing personnel ran exercise scenarios at nearby missile alert facilities.
“Team Minot is composed of exceptional, mission-focused Airmen,” said Col. Jesse Lamarand, 5th BW commander. “The 5th BW Warbirds in concert with the 2nd BW Strikers were incredible to watch during this exercise. The ability to credibly convey readiness and lethality is a key component to strategic deterrence, and GT25 allowed us to do so.”
During the exercise, personnel assigned to the 5th BW and 91st MW tested their ability to maintain a safe, secure, effective and ready strategic deterrent force by sustaining simulated alert operations for more than a week. Defenders, aircraft maintainers, aircrew, missileers, munitions specialists, airfield management personnel, food service specialists, and other mission essential personnel worked around the clock amid heightened security conditions to accomplish exercise objectives.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the effort the Roughrider Airmen put in during Global Thunder. They are on watch 24/7/365 ensuring we’re available to provide combat capability and lethality that national leaders use to deter potential adversaries from considering an attack against the U.S. and our allies,” said Col. James Schlabach, 91st MW commander. “Flexing our full readiness capabilities to confront uncertainty during exercises like this ensures we maintain the effective and ready force necessary to safeguard global security and stability by identifying strengths in our force and ways for us to improve.”
The training opportunities presented by GT25 enable 5th BW and 91st MW personnel to maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency, validating Team Minot’s always-ready global strike capability.