SAM Squad presented 2008 National Championship Firefighter Combat Challenge Trophy

Col. Richard Ayres, 17th Training Wing commander, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas (center/back), Lt Col. Moore, 312th Training Squadron commander (far left), John Granby, Lion Apparel and Dr. Paul O. Davis, Ph.D., President, On Target Challenge Inc. (far right) present the 2008 National Championship Firefighter Combat Challenge Trophy to this year’s current Goodfellow SAM Squad. From left to right: Army Staff Sgt. Stephen Burpee, Air Force Master Sgt, Thadius Sankey, Marine Sgt. William Alexander, Marine Sgt. Talan Wyenandt, Mr. William Gates, Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Wasiewski, and not in pictured Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Pickett. The winners of the 2008 Grand NCFCC in both relay and team were: Marine Staff Sgt. Charles Ammon who is not pictured and currently assigned to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Stations, Cali., Marine Staff Sgt. Nicholas Cook not pictured and currently assigned to Yuma MCAS, Ariz., Sgt. Alexander, Staff Sgt. Wasiewski, and Staff Sgt. Gates. Dubbed “the toughest two minutes in sports” by ESPN, the Challenge simulates the physical demands of real-life firefighting as competitors race against themselves, their opponent and the clock, wearing "full bunker gear" and their Air-Pak breathing apparatus, to tackle a linked series of five tasks including a 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. “victim.” The SAM Squad team finished second in the 2008 World Challenge, missing the top spot by 1.4 seconds. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Robert Martinez)