MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Maxwell firefighters are preparing to compete in the 25th annual Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge being held Oct. 24 – 29, 2016, in Montgomery, Alabama.
The international challenge invites firefighters from all over the world to compete in what is known as “the hardest two minutes in sports.”
In two minutes, competitors are required to perform five strenuous tasks that mirror the duties they perform on the job. The tasks include sprinting up five flights of stairs with a water hose, hoisting hose, chopping, dragging hoses and carrying a 175-pound training dummy.
This will be the second year Maxwell’s firefighters have participated in the competition, and they look forward to beating their score from last year. In the 2015 world challenge, the team’s scores for the Relay and Relay Elimination races were 1:31:01 and 1:32:83, respectively. Maxwell firefighter Senior Airman Scott Weeks earned the scores 1:49:84 and 1:52:20 in the individual races and Jay Brown, Maxwell firefighter, with 3:49:92.
“Better is the goal,” said Brown. “I wish I knew then what I know now. But I learned a lot, met a lot of really cool people, a lot of people helped me along the way, and I really appreciated that and I just want to do better.”
Brown said the competition is a fun way for him and the other's to stay in shape and become more proficient at their job.
Last month, the team competed in Louisville, Kentucky, giving the new members their first look at what is to come at the world competition.
“It was fun, it was my first time seeing the event. It’s a long day. t takes a lot of heart and soul to go out there and do it, because when you’re done you go to a dark place and don’t feel good, it takes a lot of heart to want to go do that,” said Senior Airman Jem Beck, Maxwell firefighter.
In Louisville, the team finished the course with a time of 1:40:80 in the Relay Eliminations and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Brown, Maxwell firefighter, competed solo and placed 39th out of 75 with a time of 2:04:66.
Team members are:Jay Brown, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Brown, Senior Airman Jem Beck, Airman 1st Class Travis Dyer and Airman 1st Class Jonathan McKay.