Steel City Wingman compete at Port Dawg Challenge

  • Published
  • By 911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
  • 911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOBBINS ARB --  The stage was set in Georgia for 19 units within the Air Force Reserve Command to test their combat proficiency over the course of three days and eleven events in the spirit of competition known as the biannual Port Dawg Challenge held at Dobbins Air Reserve Base June 19-21, 2012.

This year, the 911th Airlift Wings' own 32nd Aerial Port Squadron assembled a team of new competitors with a vast aerial port background, ranging from prior active duty Air Force service to eleven years with the 32nd APS, who were ready to face the challenge.

"I wanted to go out and be as competitive as possible," said Senior Airman Jonathan Hogan, air transportation specialist, 32 APS. "We did everything we could to prepare for the challenge, from doing extra physical training to preforming the alternate unit training assemblies to practice the events."

32 APS, the most deployed unit at the 911th Airlift Wing, brought valuable experience to the challenge from their deployments. Senior Airman Lance Cooper arrived home a month before the challenge and just in time to bring some fresh knowledge from the field to the competition.

"Just getting back from my most recent deployment helped me with the events I competed in," said Senior Airman Lance Cooper, air transportation specialist, 32nd APS. "A lot of what we do in the Port Dawg Challenge is exactly the way we would have to do it in the field."

The Steel City Port Dawgs brought home first place for the cargo processing event, which required the team to ensure three pieces of cargo were airlift ready and build a pallet of the cargo within the Global Automated Transportation Execution System (GATES) while meeting a 15-minute deadline. With hard work and dedication, Master Sgt. Robert Steckmeyer and Tech. Sgt. Todd Losch, 32nd APS, air transportation specialists, surpassed the 19 other represented squadrons with their performance.

"Our guys did a tremendous job out here representing the wing and bringing home the award for cargo processing, they have a lot to be proud of," said Col. Craig C. Peters, commander, 911th Airlift Wing.

Since 2009, AFRC has filled approximately 9,000 deployed positions within the aerial port community, ranging from Kirkuk and Balad in Iraq to Ali al Salem in Kuwait, all with the help of the Steel City Port Dawgs.

"The purpose of this event is to really showcase our Aerospace Expeditionary Force capabilities," said Lt. Col. Diana Echols, Commander of the Port Dawg challenge. "Most of the people who are out here today have deployed multiple times and this gives them an opportunity to show off their talents and what they bring to the fight."