525th Fighter Squadron awarded 2021 Raytheon Trophy Published Aug. 25, 2022 By Maria Galvez JBER Public Affairs JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s 525th Fighter Squadron recently won the 2021 Raytheon Trophy, which is awarded to the best air-to-air fighter squadron in the United States Air Force, taking the lead in advancing the baseline air-to-air threat to a peer level adversary. U.S. Air Force Col. Sam Todd, the 3rd Wing vice commander, left, and U.S. Air Force Capt. David Gourdin, a 517th Airlift Squadron pilot, right, fly C-17 Globemaster III operations in support of Polar Force 22-4 in Alaska, March 28, 2022. Polar Force is a readiness exercise centered on developing service members who are ready for world-wide deployment, real-world proficiency in response to crisis, and to deter aggressors by emphasizing the U.S.’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and regional stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Britten) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “[The 525th FS] flawlessly executed this mission with multiple real-world operations, evaluations and exercises while simultaneously maintaining 24/7/365 alert presence as one of only two active-duty squadrons in the Air Force,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Kevin Jamieson, commander of the 3rd Wing. “I am incredibly honored to see the Bulldogs receive this recognition." The squadron’s mission is to provide sustainable air dominance for combatant commanders - one of two in the Air Force tasked with North American Aerospace Defense Command’s homeland-defense mission. Polar Force, a 3rd Wing readiness exercise and the first-ever Pacific Air Forces Inspector General evaluation of the Agile Combat Employment concept, began in early April. The exercise refined ACE execution, logistics and communication while integrating 3rd Wing airlift, airborne command and control, and fighter squadrons to combat advanced air-to-air threats. U.S. Airmen assigned to the 3rd Wing board a C-17 Globemaster III during Polar Force 22-4 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 28, 2022. This is the first Polar Force to be led by the 3rd Wing, with the primary focus on developing Agile Combat Employment and the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ ability to fight in a contested, anti-access area denial environment. Operationalizing readiness-enhancing concepts like ACE is critical to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Britten) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res In July, the 525th FS Bulldogs, with 295 personnel and 14 jets, deployed to Guam in support of Operation PACIFIC IRON, where they were lead planners. Their success in multiple exercises and contingency operations such as POLAR FORCE, DISTANT FRONTIER, and IDITAROD contributed to this win. The tactics, techniques, and procedures gained from the lessons learned were published in the latest F-22 Raptor tactics manual. Another accomplishment of the 525th was placing 15th out of 184 in Spark Tank 2021, an annual Department of the Air Force competition in which Airmen and Guardians pitch innovative solutions to operational problems. The 525 FS also were recipients of 11 quarterly group awards, one quarterly wing award, and two annual wing award winners. “The men and women of the Bulldogs have consistently supported multiple lines of effort simultaneously,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Tromans, 525th FS commander. “[They] balanced sometimes competing priorities, all while training to enable air superiority against a peer threat.” The Bulldogs' primary job is to provide sustainable air defense from America's ultimate high ground, Alaska. Tromans said the squadron’s Airmen have risen to the occasion time and time again and had zero major discrepancies in their first outside inspection. “The 525 FS selection for the 69th Raytheon Trophy, a first for the Bulldogs and only the third F-22 squadron awarded, is a recognition of those efforts,” Tromans said.