VANDENBERG AFB 77 A year after a heartbreaking loss, the 30th Space Wing/s Guardian Challenge team couldn/t help but fly high over a resounding victory.

"I don/t know if I can talk," said Col. Steve Lanning, 30th Space Wing commander. "I/m exhausted with emotion."

"Words can/t describe how sweet it is," said Lt. Richard Sjogren, who competed on Vandenberg/s team as the launch controller.

The Hawks, as Vandenberg/s team is known, won three speciality trophies plus captured the top spacelift team honors away from the 45th Space Wing from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., during Guardian Challenge 2001. The annual space and missile competition culminated with Thursday night/s score posting and awards banquet.

"Damn good show again," Brig. Gen. Donald Pettit, 45th Space Wing commander, said to Lanning afterward.

Vandenberg/s team solidified the top status with a strong showing in the competition involving a mock Atlas launch countdown that included assorted calamities last month.

"We all came out feeling like we nailed it," said Staff Sgt. Mike Moffitt, who competed as aerospace control officer.

Others on the best spacelift operations team are Capt. Rob Quigg, range operations controller, Capt. Scott Jones, mission flight control officer and Capt. James Gray, launch controller

It/s the third year Vandenberg has won top space launch operations at the competition.

Vandenberg/s 76th Helicopter Flight bested other units to take top helicopter honors for navigation, hover and maintenance events.

"See, all that training I was telling you about paid off," said Capt. Derrick Stamos, a former competitor who helped get this year/s team ready.

"I can/t really take credit for these guys," Stamos added. "They/re good."

"We were probably at our best when we needed to be," said Tech. Sgt. Bill Tucker, flight engineer. The three others on the top helicopter crew are Capt. Deuce Mullen, aircraft commander; Lt. Matt Horin, co-pilot; and Matt Presnell, aircraft maintainer.

A three-man team 77 Tech. Sgt. Bill Gardner, Tech. Sgt. Scottie Benson and Staff Sgt. Chuck Spice 77 from Vandenberg took top spacelift maintenance trophy.

The gods even were shining favorably upon former Vandenberg commanders. The 21st Space Wing from Peterson AFB, Colo., led by former Vandenberg commander Brig. Gen. Bob Kehler, captured the Aldridge Trophy for top satellite operations unit.

The 91st Space Wing from Minot AFB won the Blanchard Trophy for top missile unit.

This marked the second time Vandenberg has won the Schriever Trophy since space teams began competing eight years ago. Last year, a math error found after the awards banquet didn/t gain Vandenberg the top trophy, but left some hard feelings lingering.

"I think you learn a lot in failure and losing," said Lanning. "I/m just so proud of the young men and women. They took on the challenge … We really are the world/s best Air Force."

Guardian Challenge 2001 top trophy winners are:

* Schriever Trophy (Best Spacelift Wing) 77 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base.

* Blanchard Trophy (Best Missile Wing) 77 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.

* Aldridge Trophy (Best Space Operations Wing) 77 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.

Individual trophy winners are:

* Best Code Controllers 77 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.

* Best Security Forces 77 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.

* Best Helicopter Operations 77 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB.

* Best Spacelift Operations 77 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB.

* Best Spacelift Maintenance 77 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB.

* Best Chefs 77 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.

* Best Space Operations 77 5th Space Surveillance Squadron, Royal Air Force Feltwell, United Kingdom

* Best Space Communica-tions 77 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.

* Best Missile Operations 77 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.

* Best Missile Maintenance 77 90th Space Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.

* Best Missile Communica-tions 77 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.