Olympics

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Maj. Richard Fletcher, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron commander, tosses a chock as far as he can during a chock tossing event at the 1st Coalition Maintenance Olympics on Dec. 6 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group invited the Republic of Korea Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintenance units to participate in the games, which included such events as the Tow Bar Challenge, Strongman Competition and Power Cart Push. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Raheem Moore)

Olympics

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- First Coalition Maintenance Olympics relay race participants make a mad dash to the second leg of the race on Dec. 6 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group invited the Republic of Korea Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintenance units to participate in the games, which included such events as the Tow Bar Challenge, Strongman Competition and Power Cart Push. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Raheem Moore)

Olympics

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Republic of Korea Air Force members compete in the Tow Vehicle Pull event during the 1st Coalition Maintenance Olympics on Dec. 6 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group invited the Republic of Korea Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintenance units to participate in the games, which included such events as the Tow Bar Challenge, Strongman Competition and Power Cart Push. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Raheem Moore)

Olympics

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Chief Master Sgt. Gale Holmes high-fives Japanese Air Self Defense Force Capt. Nobuo Kikuchi after winning the Chock Toss competition with the longest throw during the 1st Coalition Maintenance Olympics on Dec. 6 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group invited the Republic of Korea Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintenance units to participate in the games, which included such events as the Tow Bar Challenge, Strongman Competition and Power Cart Push. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Raheem Moore)

386th MXG hosts Coalition Maintenance Olympics

Published Dec. 10, 2008
By 1st Lt. Thomas Durkin
386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group hosted the1st Coalition Maintenance Olympics Dec. 6, in order close out a successful deployment with a "healthy competition" among friends.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and the U.S Air Force squared off in a friendly competition of skill, speed and strength for the maintenance personnel across each of the services. The day was a final farewell to the maintenance brethren as they get ready to leave Southwest Asia.

"This was a unique opportunity for maintainers to come together to show off their skills in the heat of competition," said Capt. Brian Mix, 386th EXMG officer. "It exemplified the level of camaraderie and esprit de corps that exists so strongly within the maintenance community, and it showed that even across coalition lines we are truly a family of professionals striving towards one common goal."

The day's events started with Olympic pageantry, including opening remarks from the Olympic Committee Chairman Col. Herb Phillips, 386th EMXG commander. He welcomed the six teams and charged all to have a safe and friendly competition.

The first event, the relay race, consisted of running 220 yards to three different stations while performing maintenance related tasks such as raising maintenance stands, sorting tools and reassembling a toolbox. The event resulted in a tie between the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron and ROKAF teams.

After the relay race it was on to the chock toss, an event which turned out to be the unanimous favorite among participants. Each team sent two of their strongest forward to throw an aircraft chock as far as they could. Using an unorthodox, backwards throw, the JASDF team blew away the competition by a whopping 25 feet!

Other events included a Tow Bar Challenge, the Wrench Toss and Power Cart Push obstacle course. The Power Cart Push proved difficult and frustrating for many; however the 386th EMXS was able to maneuver the power cart through the course with ease, which, according to fellow maintainers, left others wondering if they had been practicing for days.

In the Strongman competition, each team had a competitor hold a set of aircraft chocks at a ninety degree angle from their body. The 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was able to squeak out a victory over the 386th EMXS, with Senior Airman Matthew Gersman holding out the longest of all contestants.

The final event of the day was the Tow Vehicle Pull, where ten people from each team pulled a 53,000 pound tow vehicle ten yards. The 386th EAMXS was able to "pull" out the victory, putting them over the top to claim the overall Coalition Maintenance Olympics title.
Lt. Col. Alfred Bello, 386th EAMXS commander said of the games, "The day was a phenomenal success and a fitting tribute to the outstanding relationship we've had with our fellow coalition maintainers."