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Shaw receives community service award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Susan Penning
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The Palmetto Conservation Foundation recently recognized Shaw Air Force Base and three Airmen in particular, for outstanding volunteer efforts to build the Palmetto Trail through the Wateree floodplain.

A Community Service Award was presented at the base June 21 by Sen. Phil Leventis, a new member of the PCF board of directors, expressing the foundation’s gratitude to the 12 different units at Shaw that provided trail support.

Originally, Lt. Col. Bruce Gunn took the initiative to begin trail maintenance on overgrown sections, involving his family in the restoration process. Lt. Col. Gunn recognized the need for more help and recruited Lt. Col. Brian Pierson and Master Sgt. Wayne Argabright, who in turn organized work days and recruited additional volunteers from Shaw.

In just over two years, a total of 5,000 hours were spent in re-decking trestles and building handrails -- a contribution unmatched anywhere else on the trail, according to Ollie Buckles, Palmetto Trail coordinator.

The Palmetto Trail is a PCF project that will result in a 425 mile-long hiking and biking trail from the mountains to the coast of South Carolina. The trail is complete from Awendaw to Poinsett State Park but to cross from the High Hills of Santee to Richland County requires traversing three and a half miles of the Wateree Swamp.

Nine trestles from an abandoned Norfolk and Southern railroad line connect with elevated earthen causeways to make the trail. Converting the old trestles to meet present day trail standards is where the Airmen and civilians of Shaw proved to be invaluable, Mr. Buckles said. (Information provided by the Palmetto Conservation Foundation)