Allows The Public To Participate In Simulated Real-Life Missions

The Air National Guard's "Rise to the Challenge" tour ... a traveling interactive campaign, which debuted last year ... is returning for a second season. The ANG says the tour is designed to educate Americans about the Air Guard's role in serving local communities and our nation. This technologically-driven experience provides the public an opportunity to participate in simulated missions designed to demonstrate the real-life roles of Air Guard men and women. Visitors are also invited to discover life in the Air Guard, and to identify opportunities that will help them achieve their educational and career goals.

The tour, which is traveling the country through the middle of November, features a series of seven separate interactive challenges; each designed to highlight a skill associated with an Air National Guard career field.  The gaming challenges, housed in a touring vehicle built to simulate the interior of a cargo plane, are designed to test a player's electronic, mechanical, observational and spatial aptitudes. Challenges include refueling a B-2 Spirit bomber mid-air, packing a cargo hold for maximum efficiency, honing surveillance skills, testing physical strength and serving as a first responder in a disaster-stricken city.  This year, the tour features an increased number of gaming stations to accommodate more people per event.

In the spirit of competition, everyone who finishes the seven-game challenge series can retrieve their total overall score from all seven challenges by swiping their tour badge with an Air Guard recruiter before leaving the event-site. The names and scores of the leading challenge performers will be featured on an on-site leader board, and the tour's leading high scorer will remain featured on the leader board throughout the tour's duration. Top scorers from each event will also be featured on the Air National Guard's Facebook page.

Additionally, participants will be able to continue their Air Guard experience online by visiting GoANG.com/games, where they can play the Reconnaissance Challenge and additional levels of the Augmented Reality Refueling and Medics Challenge.

The Air Guard also developed a mobile gaming application that challenges users to test their reaction time, logic and mental agility as they compete against others. The mobile gaming application, "Air Taptics", will be released in June and can be downloaded for free at the Apple and Android Market Place stores on mobile platforms including, iPhone, iPad, iTouch and Android devices.

The "Rise to the Challenge" Tour will be featured at festivals, air shows, taste, music and sports events across the nation, and participation in the tour is free. The Air National Guard invites you to "Rise to the Challenge" by joining them on-site to try your hand at the numerous activities.

FMI: www.GoANG.com/events