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Team PAX named 'Top Dawgs' in first JBPHH Port Dawg Rodeo

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Port Dawgs on JBPHH rallied Aug. 20 to participate in a rodeo style competition to find the 'Top Dawg' on base.

The Port Dawg Rodeo, which is the first of its kind at JBPHH, was hosted by the 735th Air Mobility Squadron and provides a way for aerial port Airmen to test and improve their tactics in a fun and competitive environment.

Seven teams of Airmen competed in four events including a combat fitness challenge, 10K forklift driving course, Halvorsen loader driving course, and a pallet build-up competition. The teams of four were judged on proficiency and ability to adhere to safety standards throughout all of the events. The team with the highest score was ultimately named the "Top Dawg," with the honors going to Team PAX.

Given the huge responsibility of their mission, it's critical that 'Port Dawgs,' as they are affectionately called, remain at the tip top of their game. Aerial port Airmen are charged with providing global reach to war fighting forces, component and combatant commanders, and supporting national humanitarian relief assistance agencies. They are responsible for enabling critical airlift of personnel and cargo, in addition to checking in passengers and loading pallets onto aircraft, cleaning and servicing aircraft, passenger services, air freight, and operating the Air Terminal Operations Center and the Air Mobility Control Center.

Lt. Col. Maria Moore-McLendon, 735th AMS commander, said the rodeo offers an opportunity for Port Dawgs to demonstrate their capabilities, improve their procedures, compare notes, and enhance standardization for global mobility operations.

Moore-McLendon said after the annual Air Mobility Command Rodeo was cancelled this year, the squadron saw an opportunity to host a local competition that would help enhance Airmen's core skills while focusing on training and building partnerships--a high priority in the Pacific Air Forces command.

Senior Master Sgt. Jessica Mallett, 735th AMS Aerial Port superintendent and Port Dawg Rodeo coordinator, said the rodeo tests how well aerial port Airmen are trained.

"The primary focus of this event is training," she said. "This is a chance for us to see how well everybody is trained, how well they are able to perform their core task and have fun while doing it. Computer based training and CDC's can get a bit dull, but having a goal to focus on ... the competition makes it more interesting."

Though the honor of being named "Top Dawg" was on the line, Mallett said speed was only a secondary requirement for competitors.

"This competition is not just about how fast the Airmen can get it done, it's about the safety and proficiency of completing the task more importantly than the speed," she said. "But when you're looking at completing an event with efficiency and quickness, how well they are trained does come into play."

Mallett said the competition also helped build esprit de' corps, camaraderie and teamwork.

"Our teams consisted of Airmen from three different units from three different MAJCOMS and I think it's important to highlight how this brought together everyone in our career field," she said. "This shows that even though we may have different day-to-day missions, we ultimately all have the same career and the same core tasks."

The winners of the inaugural JBPHH Port Dawg Rodeo were:
First place: Team PAX
Second place: Team CMF
Third place: Team Freight

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