188th Wingman Day Olympics builds unity, resiliency

by Staff Sgt. John Suleski
188th Wing Public Affairs

8/23/2014 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- To develop unity and resilience among Wingmen new and old, members of the 188th Wing participated in a Wingman Day Olympics event held at Ebbing Air National Guard Base here Aug. 2.

In order for Airmen to have excellence in all they do, they need to have the unity to work together and the resiliency to push past all obstacles.

Since the 188th Wing's conversion to different missions, drastic changes and new faces have been a way of life, said Lt. Col. Tom Smith, 188th Wing chaplain.

The whole is more than the sum of its parts and this concept is used every day by people who work together as a team to achieve more than if they performed individually.

"With all the transition, planes going away, a new mission no one knew anything about, people's lives being turned upside down, it's been hectic," said Smith, who coordinated the event. "If it was going to work, it had to be with everyone pulling together. The Wingman Day Olympics was one way to accomplish that."

The 188th Civil Engineering Squadron Team 1 won a tiebreaker with 188th Wing Staff to claim this year's Wingman Day Olympics. Both teams scored 50 points but CES scored points in more events to earn the tiebreaker.

The 188th Security Forces Squadron and 188th Civil Engineering Squadron Team 2 tied for third place with 45 points each.

Senior Master Sgt. Sam Janski won this year's Rambo Award for the most points scored by an individual. Janski hit on 14 of 15 shots to win the free throw competition and also won the golf chipping contest to collect 50 total points for 188th Wing Staff.

The Olympics had eight events, ranging from a 1.5-mile run to volleyball. Smith said the events were chosen to build teamwork and challenge the participants' physical fitness, which ties into the physical pillar of resiliency.

Staff Sgt. Tim Curd, 123rd Intelligence Squadron intelligence specialist, said the mile relay race was particularly difficult.

"The box jumps were the worst," said Curd, in between deep breaths. "It really slowed my running down. But, it was a good, hard race."

The 123rd team won the mile relay event with a time of 6:02.

Some of the events, like basketball free-throws and golf, were individual competitions but allowed for others to cheer for different people, Smith said. He added that he enjoyed seeing the spectators at the 1.5-mile cheer for everyone, not just the finalists.

Smith said this was important because this unit training assembly was the first time the members of the 188th and its new squadrons, including the 123rd Intelligence Squadron, would be together.

Most of the participants wore different colored squadron shirts; 188th Wing personnel had olive green shirts. The 188th Security Forces Squadron had black and other squadrons had red, blue and light green. While there were several seas of solid colors, many teams resembled tie-dyed shirts.

"Everyone still has their guys that congregate together because they know each other," Curd said. "But making them get on different teams and do different things with different people, that separates them out and mixes things up so they come together more as a unit. Wingman Day is a really good idea and I think it should be done a little more often."

Smith said the Wingman Olympics is planned on being held every year. Additionally, the fastest 1.5-mile run records, engraved upon a plaque, can only be broken during the event each year.

This year, the fastest man, Airman 1st Class Austin Culp, 188th Operations Support Squadron, came in at 8:33. The fastest woman, Staff Sgt. Rachel Ponder, 188th Communications Flight, came in at 10:35.

After proving their physical prowess as a part of resiliency, the members of the 188th Wing broke up to their individual units for resiliency training to learn more about the other pillars of the concept: mental, spiritual and social.

"Having the Olympics and then going to resiliency training was a good idea," Smith said. "Everyone had a good taste in their mouths and that helped them not go to this training like a lot of training they've been in."

Overall, the chaplain said the Wingman Day Olympics were a success. He added that it was not him who made it happen, but the volunteers who helped support the different events.

"The wing came together, competed against each other, cheered for each other and I witnessed some real bonding and cohesion," said Col. Mark. Anderson, 188th Wing commander. "Everyone who played a role in making this a success - participants and those who worked behind the scenes coordinating the events - deserves a pat on the back. This was an exceptional event."


WINGMAN DAY OLYMPICS
Team results
1st place
188th Civil Engineering Squadron Team 1 - 50 points (won tiebreaker: scored in most events)

2nd place
188th Wing Staff - 50 points

3rd place (TIE)
188th Security Forces Squadron - 45 points
188th Civil Engineering Squadron Team 2 - 45 points

Individual results
Wing Rambo (individual top scorer)
Senior Master Sgt. Sam Janski (188th Wing Staff) - 50 points

1.5 mile run (men's)
Airman 1st Class Austin Culp (188th Operations Support Squadron) - 8:33

1.5 mile run (women's)
Staff Sgt. Rachel Ponder (188th Communications Flight) - 10:35

Mile relay
123rd Intelligence Squadron - 6:02

Free throws
Senior Master Sgt. Sam Janski (188th Wing Staff) - 14 of 15 shots

Golf pitching
Senior Master Sgt. Sam Janski (188th Wing Staff)

Horseshoes
153rd Intelligence Squadron Team 2

Casting contest
188th Civil Engineering Squadron Team 1

Safety obstacle course
Airman 1st Class Kody Miller (184th Attack Squadron)