JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. —
Joint Base Charleston hosted a 9-mile ruck march starting at the Air Base at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2019 to honor the nine victims of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard C-130 crash, which occurred May 2, 2018, in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
Approximately 40 Joint Base Charleston personnel were called to assist at the crash site to include mortuary affairs/search and recovery team, legal team, chaplain and chaplain assistant, documentation team, and a mental health team.
“When a tragic event like this happens and especially so close to us it affects the entire base,” said Lt. Col. William Parker, commander of the 628th Force Support Squadron and one of the leads of the JB Charleston recovery efforts. “This ruck march is meant to honor the Airmen we lost that day one year ago and stand as a symbol of solidarity with our fellow service members in the Air National Guard as well as the Team Charleston members who participated in the recovery efforts.”
JB Charleston leadership as well as members from the search and recovery team will also be attending the Rican 68 Memorial Service on May 2 in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
VIDEO LINK:
PHOTO LINK: 
Airmen ruck march along a running trail May 1, 2019, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. The Airmen participated in a nine-mile ruck march to remember the nine lives lost on May 2, 2018, in a C-130 aircraft crash in Port Wentworth, GA, in which JB Charleston, along with other agencies, provided response and recovery efforts.
About Joint Base Charleston
Joint Base Charleston is one of 12 Department of Defense Joint Bases and host to over 60 DOD and Federal agencies. The 628th Air Base Wing delivers installation support to a total force of over 90,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians, dependents, and retirees across four
installations including the Air Base and the Naval Weapons Station.