572nd CRG squadrons test mobility readiness with Alaska Challenge

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Brugman
  • 60th AMW Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Five teams from the 615th Contingency Response Wing competed against the clock Oct. 13 to see which team could put up an Alaska shelter the fastest.

"We use them when we go out to bare bases," said Staff Sgt. Jason Bennett, event organizer. "They are used for lodging, command posts, medical facilities and chow halls. It is a very multi-purpose tent."

The 572nd Global Mobility Squadron, 572nd Global Mobility Readiness Squadron, 570th Global Mobility Squadron, 571st Global Mobility Squadron, 573rd Global Support Squadron all competed in the event. These squadrons fall under the 615th CRW. Part of the 615th CRW mission is to open bases in forward deployed environments.

"This competition exercises our expeditionary skills - skills we use in the field," said Col. Robert Thomas, 572nd Contingency Response Group commander. "We may be sent on combat support missions in the mountains of Afghanistan or on a humanitarian tasking in a remote tropical area so it's important to put these shelters up properly and quickly."

The 572nd GMS took an early lead in the competition and used that momentum to finish in first place with a flat 52-minute build-up of their Alaska shelter. The team took 17 minutes and 29 seconds to tear it down.

"It went exceptionally smooth," said Staff Sgt. John Lowe, 572nd GMS team leader, who estimates he has help put up more than 30 Alaska shelters. "[Everyone on our team] knew everything about the tent and everyone knew their part in the build up and the tear down."

The 572nd GMS also took the innovation award for their strategy of building the base and the top of the structure separately and then assembling them.

"The new process we developed combined some of the steps to make it a lot more efficient in the end," Sergeant Lowe said. The process involves assembling the pieces on the ground without the use of ladders.

The second place team was the 570th GMS with a time of 52 minutes 39 seconds. Their take down time was 25 minutes and 29 seconds.

"The team was proud," said Sergeant Lowe. "We hands down beat the other team. We're proud that we're the best in the CRG."