Strong man pulls for troops

by SSgt Joshua Garcia
23d Wing Public Affairs

10/16/2012 - Moody Air Force Base, Ga. -- Practice makes perfect for strong man Mark Kirsch, "Pulls for the Troops" performer, during the practice pull of a HC-130 Combat King at Moody Air Force Base, Oct. 5, 2012

Kirsch has been performing for audiences for over 5 years, but recently started pulling jumbo jets at airshows. His next scheduled pull will be at the Moody Air Force Base Open House, Ga., Oct. 27 and 28.

"This is my second season of pulls for the troops, but I have been pulling jumbo jets for seven seasons now," said Mark Kirsch, strong man for "Pulls for the Troops".

Throughout his oversized career, Kirsch has not only pulled just jumbo jets, but has also pulled fire trucks, farm equipment and even a tank sitting on a semi truck.

Although Kirsch's company is "Pulls for the Troops", he gets a rush every time he performs in front of the crowd.

"There's nothing like it, when you are in the show and you got thousands of people watching," said Kirsch. "It's kind of a cool feeling."

Kirsch will face off against a HC-130 Combat King, from the 71st Rescue Squadron as one of the opening acts at Moody's upcoming Open House.

"The C-130 is the hardest plane to pull," said Kirsch "It's lighter than most planes, but it is also 5 3 times harder, because of the sheer size of the tires it's not conducive to be pulled."

During the open house there will be a variety of events for visitors. There will be multiple aerial acts and static aircraft to entertain guests. Man vs. Jumbo Jet will perform alongside acts like the jet bus , to a heritage flight featuring theA-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-4 Phantoms . The final act of each day will be the USAF Thunderbirds performing aeronautical acrobatics.

Not only does Kirsch pull for the troops but he also pulls to motivate them to succeed.

"Everybody said it was impossible to pull a jumbo jet so that's all it took," said Kirsch. "If I was able to do what I did, then anybody can do anything."