Photo By Airman Haeleigh Bayle | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to aerial port squadrons run to the finish line during...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing, the 621st Contingency Response Wing and the USAF Expeditionary Center participated in the 12th Annual Port Dawg Memorial Run at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, May 21, 2025.
Each year, aerial port squadrons around the world gather to remember those that lost their lives throughout the year by hosting a ceremony and a memorial run in their honor.
The tradition started in 2013 when teammates of Tech. Sgt. Curtis E. Eccleston, a Port Dawg at Kadena Air Base, Japan, who had tragically lost his life in 2011, decided to honor him with a memorial run.
“Our Port Dawg community is very small, however, we are very tight,” said Staff Sgt. Francisco Estevez, 305th Aerial Port Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge for Passenger Services Plans and Programs. “So, by coming together for the memorial run, we’re not only remembering those we've lost, but also strengthening the bond that connects us all.”
This year’s event started with a ceremony in which Staff Sgt. Isaac Maynard, Aerial Port Operations Course Lead from the 423rd Training Squadron, read the names of nine service members from the Port Dawg community that lost their lives within the past year.
The names honored during the ceremony were as follows:
Tech. Sgt. Kathryn Glance
Staff Sgt. Abbey Berg
Staff Sgt. Edgar Guadarrama
Staff Sgt. Reuel James
Staff Sgt. Quazay Jones
Staff Sgt. Koy Sauer
Staff Sgt. Jacob Spletzer
Staff Sgt. Manville Stalcup
Senior Airman Christopher Wagner
With each name that was read, another service member laid an MB-1 Device, a piece of equipment used to tie cargo down, on the pair of boots representing each service member in honor of their sacrifice.
After most of the Airmen completed the formation run, they cheered on the remaining participants as they finished.
Once everyone returned, they enjoyed lunch together and shared their experiences with fellow members of the Port Dawg community.
“It’s been a huge honor to host this at such a large base, alongside three different wing agencies and this incredible community,” said Tech. Sgt. Shane Smith, 423rd Training Squadron instructor. “It brings our community together and unites us around a single purpose for the day, which is honoring both the work we do in our career field and the members who have been a part of it.”
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2025 14:47 |
| Story ID: | 499065 |
| Location: | NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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