JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. - Members of the 437th Ariel Port Squadron recently conducted a 2.2-mile memorial run at Joint Base Charleston on May 21, 2026, to honor the U.S. Air Force aerial transportation specialists who have passed away throughout the year.
What started as a local tribute at Kadena Air Base following the loss of an Airman in 2011 has since grown into a global memorial tradition recognized across the aerial transportation community.
The Port Dawgs gathered at the loading dock wearing physical training gear and memorial shirts with names of the fallen Airmen from the Port Dawg community as they awaited the beginning of the ceremony.
The ceremony started with the reading of this year’s names followed by a 22-second moment of silence representing the air transportation Air Force Specialty Code: 2T2X1.
“Being a port dawg is much more than an AFSC,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Sylvan Tortice, 437th Aerial Port Squadron Air Operation Center section chief. “It’s a family that we are now a part of for the rest of our lives.”
The run highlighted the support network within the aerial port community in place for service members and their families. Events like this help strengthen the resilience culture within the 437th APS.
During the run, Airmen carried and passed cargo tie-down devices from person to person. Each device symbolized the emotional burden of life and loss. The tradition reflects the resilience and fellowship found throughout aerial port squadrons, showing that no Airman carries hardship alone.
“The thing about the memorial run is that even if you don’t know somebody on the back of the shirt that year, chances are high that you are friends with someone who knows the person on the shirt,” said Master Sgt. Victor Lanni, 437th APS Terminal Air Operation superintendent.
Lanni said he hopes the memorial run continues long after his retirement this year, with the goal that no new names are added in the future.
“Hopefully next year when we do this again, and we honor everybody who came before us that we lost, we will have a blank shirt,” said Master Sgt. Joseph Miller, 437th APS senior enlisted leader.
The memorial run honored fallen Port Dawgs while also recognizing the demanding lifestyle of aerial transportation specialists. Through events like this, Airmen across the squadron continue demonstrating their commitment, resilience and warrior ethos by showing up for one another every day.
| Date Taken: |
05.29.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.29.2026 16:30 |
| Story ID: |
566485 |
| Location: |
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
17 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, 437 APS hosts annual Port Dawg memorial run, by A1C Courtney Oldenburg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Subscribe
