Airman 1st Class Andrew Robinson, Tech. Sgt. Charity Barrett, and Airman 1st Class Michael Garel are Oahu airmen and members of the U.S. Air Force Track Team who competed in the 2011 annual NATO Track and Field Championship in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Sept. 7. (Photo by David D. Underwood, Jr.)

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Airman 1st Class Michael Garel, Tech. Sgt. Charity Barrett, and Airman 1st Class Andrew Robinson are Oahu airmen and members of the U.S. Air Force Track Team who competed in the 2011 annual NATO Track and Field Championship in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Sept. 7. Photo by (David D. Underwood, Jr.)

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Local Airmen compete in NATO track meet

Published Oct. 12, 2011
By David D. Underwood
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Three local airmen represented the U.S. Air Force in the 2011 annual NATO air forces track and field championship in Huesden-Zolder, Belgium on Sept. 7. Tech. Sgt. Charity Barrett, Pacific Command, Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Makalapa; Airman 1st Class Andrew Robinson, 324th Intelligence Squadron; and Airman 1st Class Michael Garel, 8th Intelligence Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, were part of an 11-person team comprised of Airmen from across the Air Force. The event was sponsored by United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), and the team competed against six NATO countries. Members were selected in mid August for the training camp held Sept. 1-6 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. This was Barrett's 4th year with the Air Force Track Team. She received 1st place in the women's Swedish relay, 2nd place in the 400 meter dash, and 2nd place 100 meter dash. She enjoys being a diplomat for the country and presenting a positive image of the Air Force to the world. This was the first year for Robinson and Garel being on the team. Garel received 1st place in the 400 meter hurdles and 2nd place in the 110 meter hurdles. Robinson ran track in high school and this was a really big thing for him. "This was a big opportunity to participate in a world-wide event with different countries," he said. "It enabled me to take pride and to represent the U.S. Air Force, and to fulfill my dream of running track after high school." "I got a chance to see things I haven't seen before and experienced other cultures," said Garel. "I've seen how our mission affects other parts of the world, experienced camaraderie with other nations, shared ideas, inputs, and T-shirts." Members interested in participating in Air Force sports can go to www.usafsports.com and complete an AF Form 303, request for USAF specialized sports training.