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Team Shaw is 'on fire'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Maldonado
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The 20th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department hosted a Firefighter Combat Challenge 5K Run during Warrior Day at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, Nov. 18.

The event gave Team Shaw members the opportunity to experience the challenges 20th CES fire department Airmen must overcome to accomplish their mission.

Participants in the 5K run and obstacle course, whether running as an individual or in a team, had to tackle 12 obstacles over the course of the run that tested their physical endurance.

“The event had 12 stations stretched over a three mile course that each participant had to execute,” said Tech. Sgt. Patrick Bentley, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron fire emergency service noncommissioned officer in charge of training. “They were challenged with hose management and climbing obstacles that definitely pushed them to the brink of wanting to quit.”

Although the challenge proved difficult for some, Staff Sgt. Terrell Thomas, Jr., 20th CES fire protection crew chief, said he got as much out of the course as he put in.

“It was a challenge, a good challenge,” said Thomas. “It will give them a better appreciation of what firefighters experience in any given situation, on any given day.”

Upon conclusion of the event, participants learned their times for the entirety of the course and gained confidence by successfully working as a team to build up resiliency.

The fire department presented a trophy and certificates to the winning teams and individuals to recognize their drive to complete the obstacles and 5K in the fastest time.

“The event is a good example of what we go through when we report on scene,” said Staff Sgt. Christian Alvero, 20th CES firefighter. “It’s good to see every squadron work together to tackle any obstacle with a positive outlook toward the next.”

Muscles fatigued from the obstacle course’s toll, Team Shaw members departed the course with a first-hand look at the challenges firefighters face and a better understanding of what training is needed to keep them fit to fight fires.