Dorm Airmen compete in warrior challenge at Joint Base Charleston

Published July 13, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jared Trimarchi
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- More than 50 Airmen living in the Joint Base Charleston dormitories participated in the first Dorm Excellence Warrior Ethos Challenge here July 12.

Residents from six dormitories competed for points based on fitness, dormitory inspections, community involvement and camaraderie.

"This Dorm Excellence Warrior Ethos Challenge was created to bring Airmen who live in the dorms together by building an exciting competition with games, challenges and awards," said Chief Master Sgt. Jose LugoSantiago, Joint Base Charleston command chief.

The event started a day prior to July 12's fitness challenge with a dormitory inspection and a review of individual community involvement and team community involvement. Dorms were given points for hours of volunteer service and group efforts around the community.

"The fitness challenge was the part of the event that most Airmen looked forward to," said Staff Sgt. Robert Alvarado, 628th Force Support Squadron First Term Airmen Center noncommissioned officer in charge. "There were three challenges: a three-on-three basketball tournament, a push-up contest and a sit-up contest."

Though the event was held early in the morning Airmen were working up a sweat during the basketball tournament.

"Playing basketball with the Airmen who live next to me was a blast," said Airman 1st Class Stanley Soronnadi, a crew chief from the 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "I can't think of a better way to boost morale and support healthy lifestyles than challenging Airmen to do what we love to do."

The camaraderie was extremely high as Airmen cheered on their wingmen during the push-up and sit-up contests. A male and a female from each dorm had one minute for each exercise to see who could do the most repetitions. The points given were tallied to each dorm's overall score.

LugoSantiago said the DEWE Challenge will happen quarterly and will support resiliency and incorporate the Comprehensive Airman Fitness way of life.

"We want Airmen to say 'hi' to one another, know each other's names and get to know their wingmen," he said. "Creating a community that works together and stays together will help these Airmen's coping skills, which can help reduce job stress, relationship stress and even prevent suicide."

Though six dormitories participated in the event only one was presented the DEWE Challenge trophy by Col. Martha Meeker, Joint Base Charleston commander. Congratulations to the winners of the first DEWE challenge: Dormitory 466.

(Yeoman Third Class Timothy Daughton contributed to this story.)