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DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. - In Air Force Reserve Command, aerial port squadrons send their best from all over the command to the bi-annual Port Dawg Challenge. Not all units are stateside, one unit, the 44th Aerial Port Squadron traveled from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for an opportunity to compete.
The 44th traveled nearly 8,000 miles from the island to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, to showcase their talents against the best of the best.
"It took us 26 hours to get here from Andersen, but we're excited to be here," said Capt. Patrick Lujan, 44th APS Air freight commander.
The trip from Guam took the 44th to Japan, then a 12-hour flight to Chicago, then to Georgia for the competition.
It has been an ongoing challenge for the 44th APS to get a shot at competing in the PDC. With a much greater distance to travel than other units, funding has been difficult to come by.
"We heard about it from other units for a long time, and always wanted to get out here," Lejan said. "Unfortunately, it's costly to send a team out from Guam; we finally got the support last year from 4th Air Force."
The duties of an aerial porter are vital to USAFR mission of air supremacy. "Port Dawgs" as they are nicknamed, are entrusted to ensure the aircrafts, cargo and passengers are cared for and the Air Force mission succeeds.
The 44th APS along with the other aerial port squadrons competed in 12 events to determine who would come out as the "Top Dawg" and be presented the trophy, a bronze statue of a life-size bulldog.
One of the more daunting events the PDC participants faced, was the Fit-to-Fight challenge. It consisted of running five laps for a total of 1,500 meters, just shy of a mile, and performing as many burpees as possible within the allotted time, while battling temperatures that nearly reached triple digits.
Senior Airman Matthew Mira, Fit-to-Fight competitor from the 44th APS, pushed hard to compete even though he was fighting off jet lag from his long flight, "I did fairly well, better than expected," said Mira. "I'm all gassed out, but I'm here and I'm standing."
Mira and his Fit-to-Fight teammates were cheered on by the rest of his team and unit leadership during the event.
That cheering and support is what makes the PDC special, Mira commented. It boosts morale amongst the members, within the 44th and other units.
"The team camaraderie has been great here amongst all 26 teams," Mira exclaimed.
Given that inexperience in the competition, the 44th APS held its own amongst the other squadrons. Unfortunately, they came up short of placing in the top three. However, thanks to their team pride, they placed second with their island-themed dog bone.
Mira concluded, "It was a great experience and we hope to come back in 2017."
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2015 16:08 |
| Story ID: | 167373 |
| Location: | DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 44th APS travels nearly 8,000 miles to compete in Port Dawg Challenge, by MSgt Stephen Schester, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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