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Andersen's Olympians

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Marianique Santos
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
Though geographically separated from most of the units on Andersen, it was no surprise to hear the letters "A-M-M-O!" reverberate through the air as the 36th Munitions Squadron kicked-off their annual Ammo Olympics with a squadron battle cry here, Aug. 30.

The Ammo Olympics is an event where the Airmen of 36th Munitions Squadron build teams and compete in events that test the Airmen's strength, teamwork and ingenuity.

"The 36th MUNS is a big family," said Airman 1st Class Kiera Foltz, 36th MUNS storage crew member and one of the event organizers. "This event is a great way to get together, have fun and be competitive."

During the event, the Airmen compete in events that include materials that they encounter or produce on a daily basis. They used vehicles that they utilize in transporting munitions to the flightline as well as parts of munitions they produce on a work day.

"Along with promoting teamwork and camaraderie, the event promotes munitions Airmen's ingenuity and innovation," said Airman Foltz. "Organizers come up with ways to integrate our daily work to the competition while the Airmen figure out how they can accomplish the task the fastest and easiest way possible."

Ammo Olympics events include the four-person 759 pound inert bomb pull, fin toss, ten-ton tractor pull, forklift obstacle course and tug of war.

"I always look forward to the tug of war," said Senior Airman Jeremy Cowger, 36th MUNS storage munitions crew chief. "Here on Guam, it usually rains through the whole thing. Everyone gets super muddy and still have big smiles on their faces."

The event was made possible by the cumulative effort of members of the 36th MUNS booster club. The club members planned the events, tallied scores and organized the food, making sure that the Airmen of the 36th MUNS have a relaxing day of fun and camaraderie.

The Ammo Olympics gives the Airmen a chance to showcase their creativity, personalities and pride in their work places along with their skills. To show shop spirit, munitions Airmen made matching shirts and costumes for their teams.

"We work a pretty high volume out here especially since we are just coming out of an operational readiness exercise," said Airman Cowger. "It's nice to have an event like this and come out here to enjoy the company of people you work with in a relaxed setting."

Events like the Ammo Olympics allow 36th MUNS Airmen take a breather from their otherwise busy schedules. This year alone, the 36th MUNS participated in multiple exercises, which include the multinational Rim of the Pacific Exercise and CAPEX, the largest munitions production exercise in the Air Force.

"Along with the exercises we've participated in, we support the Marines and tenant units when they are on island," said Maj. Jason Kalman, 36th MUNS commander. "We also recently conducted retrograde, where we offloaded thousands of tons of explosives and replenished our stockpile."

"With that level of work day in and day out, Airmen look forward to an event like Ammo Olympics where they can have fun and show off their skills," Major Kalman continued. "It is good for them to have the opportunity to decompress and promote resiliency and healthy well-being among our Airmen."