Little Rock AFB reserve unit named Top Dawg

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Chris A. Durney
  • 22nd Air Force, Detachment 1
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga --  The 'Combat Hogs' of the 96th Aerial Port Squadron out of Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., took top honors at the Air Force Reserve Command's 2012 Port Dawg Challenge, held here June 19 - 21.

The six-person team from the 96th bested 18 other teams in a tough competition that tested their skills as air mobility professionals. The 94th Airlift Wing here hosted the three-day event that brought together units from as far away as Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Aerial Port units perform military logistics functions that include passenger and cargo processing, equipment loading, air cargo preparation and load plans, and supervising units engaged in aircraft loading and unloading operations.

Master Sgt. Clayton Crum, Tech. Sgt. Morgan Abner, Tech. Sgt. Gustav Schmidle, Tech. Sgt. Mark Compton, Tech. Sgt. Torreon Shirlee and Tech. Sgt. Tobey Pruitt burst out of their chairs when they were named as 'Top Dawgs' of the Air Force Reserve. Members of the aerial port community are affectionately known as Port Dawgs.

The competition consisted of 11 separate events, with winners named in each event:

10,000 lbs. Forklift course - 67th APS, Hill AFB, Utah;
25,000 lbs. Halverson driving and loading course - 76th APS, Youngstown, Oh.;
Cargo Processing - 32nd APS, Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station;
Passenger Processing - 45th APS, Travis AFB, Ca.;
Pallet Buildup - 76th APS, Youngstown, Oh.;
Joint Inspection - 48th APS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii;
Load Planning - 27th APS, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station;
Cargo Restraint - 80th APS, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.;
Fit to Fight - 67th APS;
Mission Load Reporting - 27th APS;
Written Examination - 67th APS.

As winners of the competition, the 96th gets the honor of taking home one of the most unique trophies in the military. The Top Dawg is a life-size bonze sculpture of a bulldog on a wooden pedestal. The trophy will reside at the 96th until the next Port Dawg Challeng in 2014.