Giant Sword
Giant Sword was a combat weapons loading competition developed by Strategic Air Command. These competitions ran under the name Giant Sword beginning in 1974, during which aircraft crew chiefs joined the competition teams.
In 1975 the competition moved to Ellsworth AFB, S.D., and expanded to include:
Participating teams consisted of three elements; a five person munitions load crew, an aircraft crew chief, and a six person security police team. Scoring for the munitions load teams was in three parts; a written exam, an equipment inspection and two munitions loads. Munitions loading was accomplished on ASQ-38 and Offensive Avionics System (OAS) modified B-52G, H and FB-111A. The maximum possible score for each load team was 1250 points. The aircraft crew chiefs were also scored on the basis of a written exam and two exercises, one pre-load and one post-load, for a maximum total of 250 points.
Security police teams competed in four areas; a written exam, a confidence course designed to evaluate physical capabilities, a tactical weapons firing course and a practical exercise simulating a situation involving the protection of strategic resources. Their maximum total was 500 points. The scoring for the competition was conducted by SAC Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation (MSET) members for load crews and aircraft crew chiefs, and representatives from the HQ SAC Office of the Chief of Security Police for the SP's. The wing team which scored the highest points was awarded the Barrantine Memorial Trophy. Other major awards included; Best Munitions Load Crew, Best Security Police Unit, Best Bomber Crew Chief, Best Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) Load Crew and Best Combined Load Crew.
In 1975 the competition moved to Ellsworth AFB, S.D., and expanded to include:
Participating teams consisted of three elements; a five person munitions load crew, an aircraft crew chief, and a six person security police team. Scoring for the munitions load teams was in three parts; a written exam, an equipment inspection and two munitions loads. Munitions loading was accomplished on ASQ-38 and Offensive Avionics System (OAS) modified B-52G, H and FB-111A. The maximum possible score for each load team was 1250 points. The aircraft crew chiefs were also scored on the basis of a written exam and two exercises, one pre-load and one post-load, for a maximum total of 250 points.
Security police teams competed in four areas; a written exam, a confidence course designed to evaluate physical capabilities, a tactical weapons firing course and a practical exercise simulating a situation involving the protection of strategic resources. Their maximum total was 500 points. The scoring for the competition was conducted by SAC Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation (MSET) members for load crews and aircraft crew chiefs, and representatives from the HQ SAC Office of the Chief of Security Police for the SP's. The wing team which scored the highest points was awarded the Barrantine Memorial Trophy. Other major awards included; Best Munitions Load Crew, Best Security Police Unit, Best Bomber Crew Chief, Best Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) Load Crew and Best Combined Load Crew.
