Note: The Rough Rider Ops Competition took place in October of 2025, however, due to the federal government shutdown an embargo was placed on all news stories generated from facilities like Minot Air Force Base. What that meant was that the Rough Rider Ops Competition results and photos could not be featured in the Northern Sentry, or by any other media. Recently The Northern Sentry queried the 91st Missile Wing to see if they felt that a story about the competition was still relevant, and the answer was an emphatic “yes!”
The word competition at its root level means “a rivalry where 2 or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared.” When a normally scheduled competition that pitted squadrons against each other to determine which squadron excelled in performing carefully orchestrated tasks that comprised an overall competition that gauged crew force efficiencies. “And although the competition was very successful” according to Lt. Col Nicholas Gydesen of the 91st OSS “we collected a lot of data that we didn’t expect. We ended up using that data to overhaul our training program to focus on crew force decision making in complex scenarios, and we have built improvements into our training program.”
But taking a step back, the Rough Rider Ops competition was born of a desire to build a competition that tested the very mettle of each of the squadrons that took part. “Funding constraints and other challenges postponed a similar competition at the Global Strike level called Global Strike Challenge. Many of the crew members were rather disappointed that they didn’t get to compete at the Global Strike level, but rather than just not have a competition the decision was made to craft the Rough Riders Ops competition which took place in October at Minot Air Force Base” according to Gydesen.
Some of the unexpected surprises from the Rough Riders Competition “was really how much the crew force showed how much they really cared about the spirit of competition while also demonstrating their capabilities and their knowledge. They all raised their hands (those who competed) and said I want to show what I’m made of here, not only me but my squadron.”
The competition was totally voluntary for anyone competing, and the time for the competition had to be carved out of weekend hours and carefully scheduled around the schedules of each squadron. “During their training week they prepared, and they executed the competition on that Saturday” according to Gydesen.
“With the success we had this year, we can envision the competition happening every other year, as the Global Strike Challenge also happens every other year. It will keep our crew force fresh, it will keep them thinking in the grey area so they can continually solve complex problems outside the bounds of the day to day missile operations and procedures that we have” says Gydesen. “Not only did we test their knowledge, but we tested their ability to communicate and their ability to show teamwork during the entire course of the scenario.”
And the overall winner is (or was)…
“The 742nd Missile Squadron, who will have their name inscribed on the Col Jimmy “Wolf” Schlabach Trophy, which is named after Col Schlabach for the tremendous support he gave us in organizing and supporting this competition” says Gydesen.
