The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) Intern Program recently visited the Savannah River Site (SRS) for a tour of multiple facilities across the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)-led Department of Energy complex, to include Savannah River Tritium Enterprise (SRTE) and Savannah River National Laboratory.

Activated in 2009, AFGSC is a major command with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Their mission is to provide strategic deterrence, combat support and global strike, or military action designed to prevent adversary attacks against the United States or its allies. The AFGSC intern program provides participants the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with projects related to nuclear deterrence and global strike operations.

“AFGSC has a strong foundation of resilient, combat-ready professionals, who will yield the combat advantage we need to address the rising global threats,” said SRTE Senior Vice President, NNSA Tritium Operations and P rograms J.C. Epting. “I was honored to have the intern program tour the Tritium facilities to get a deeper knowledge of the work we do for the nation.”

The group toured Tritium’s H Area New Manufacturing and the Tritium Extraction Facility, while being briefed on SRTE’s critical mission and how it directly impacts their fieldwork as part of the Nuclear Triad.

In addition to the Site tour, the group of 26 participants, comprised of both civilians and active-duty Air Force service members, received a Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) briefing, including an overview of the SRNS pit production mission.

While welcoming the group, SRNS Executive Vice President and NNSA Chief Operations Officer Jim Dawkins emphasized the common goal of national security missions. A retired Lieutenant General, Dawkins worked with multiple AFGSC Intern Program graduates over the course of his 34-year Air Force career.

“I implore you to learn all you can about NNSA’s nuclear weapons enterprise, so that you can advise, from a position of knowledge, what it takes to design and deliver these weapons,” Dawkins said. “Continue to increase your knowledge. The nation needs our nuclear deterrence expertise now more than ever.”

Tim Brown, Manager Pit Technology, provided the briefing, describing the importance of the pit production mission. ““SRPPF is easily one of the top five most important projects in the country,” he said. “Pit production continues efforts in the rich history of plutonium-related activities at Savannah River.”

Howard Suggs, Air Force Global Strike Command Chief Analyst, Civilian Development Integration, described how the day’s events resonated with participants.

“The goal of the intern program is to develop future nuclear enterprise leaders by expanding their nuclear knowledge through educational and experiential opportunities,” said Suggs. “Our tour of SRS provided a meaningful experience by showcasing how the various components work together in the full spectrum of Department of Defense strategic and operational decision making for the defense of the nation.”

AFGSC is responsible for the nation's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings, the Air Force’s entire bomber force, Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) systems, and operational and maintenance support to organizations within the nuclear enterprise.