LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (USTCNS) --- The Air Mobility Command team shot their way to top honors in the Combat Rifle event during this year's Defender Challenge security forces competition held Oct. 10 to 16 at Fort Bullis, near San Antonio.
Two members of the AMC Defender Challenge team also took top individual honors. Staff Sgt. Gregory Littlejohn with the 375th Security Forces Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill., was first in the M203 Grenade Launcher and Tech. Sgt. Ryan Sprauer, 43rd SFS, Pope AFB, N. C., took first place in the Handgun.
AMC also placed in three team competitions. Staff Sgt. Steven Courson and Airman 1st Class John Plemons from McChord AFB's 62nd SFS took second in the M240B Machine Gunner event; the full AMC team took second in the Warrior Challenge, an obstacle course in full combat gear; and third in the Coleman Cup for overall marksmanship.
The AMC Defender Challenge team included:
· Staff Sgt. Christopher Gable and Staff Sgt. Joseph Sedia, 436th SFS, Dover AFB, Del.
· Senior Airman Leonard Marble and Staff Sgt. Daniel Nicholas, 92nd SFS, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
· Staff Sgt. Nate Banks, 62nd SFS, McChord AFB, Wash.
· Senior Airman Josh Denniston and Staff Sgt. Justin Moore, 22nd SFS, McConnell AFB, Kan.
· Senior Airman Aubrey Vasquez, 305th SFS, McGuire AFB, N.J.
· Staff Sgt. Rob Snyder, 375th SFS, Scott AFB, Ill.
Gen. John W. Handy, commander U.S. Transportation Command and AMC, presented members of the team with AMC coins Tuesday morning at AMC Headquarters at Scott AFB.
The general said, "AMC security forces are absolutely the best on the planet. They performed extraordinarily well during this competition, and they perform magnificently each and every day, protecting our airfields, our assets and our people."
The Department of Energy dominated this year's event, besting 11 teams from Air Force major commands and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force Regiment to earn the Defender Challenge Champion title. The RAF Regiment placed second and the Air National Guard placed third overall.
Defender Challenge annually pits "the best of the best" defenders in head-to-head team competition in the craft and tools of their trade -- weapons and tactics. The competition also serves as a test-bed for new weapons, equipments and tactics. The competition was first held as a marksmanship contest in 1952 and was modified to an Olympics-style series of events in 1981.
