JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
An Airman with the 437th Aerial Port Squadron Traffic Management Office has put his artistic skills to use to complete a squadron revitalization project.
Senior Airman Jordan Guthrie, 437th APS passenger travel technician, designed and painted a mural in the squadron’s warehouse during the month of May. Thanks to years of drawing experience, Guthrie was able to envision a concept he believed properly represented the “Port Dawgs” legacy.
“APS leadership selected Senior Airman Guthrie for the project because of his passion for art and the aerial port,” said Staff Sgt. Hailee Landin, 437th APS passenger travel NCO in charge. “Senior Airman Guthrie’s impact on designing the mural has given TMO our own place to show who and what we are within the APS, as well as a piece of history to those who come and go in Charleston TMO.”
The design incorporates a C-17 Globemaster III, the face of a dog, a list of the sections within APS and an area for current Port Dawgs to sign their name. Guthrie admits he couldn’t have completed the project without assistance.
“It happened because of the help from all of TMO, all my friends, and leadership pushing me to go for something using my talents for something good,” he said.
Guthrie called upon the self-taught skills he has honed since childhood to design and paint the mural.
“Art is like writing. It’s another way to express myself or take my mind off things,” Guthrie said. “Sometimes when I’m doodling while under stress, it is portrayed in the art.”
Despite his experience and talent, a co-worker stepped up to assist Guthrie in the assignment. With the help of William Brown III, 437th APS packing and crate supervisor, Guthrie was able to visualize his concept. Through teamwork and an increased attention to detail, Guthrie and Brown were able to fine-tune the process, making the project easier.
“It means a lot that he stuck with me through the whole process,” Guthrie said. “He was there pushing me on. He was another eye. It’s always better when you have another person who might see something you don’t see, especially coming from another artist of his caliber.”
Brown said he only played a support role in the project and Guthrie was the driving force behind it. He said it was beneficial for both of them and he hopes Guthrie can grow from the experience.
“It was a great opportunity for Airman Guthrie and I to work together,” Brown said. “I saw him trying to do it himself, so I just came in to aid him. I’m very proud of him. He can have a fingerprint on the squadron and years to come, he can come back and see the fruits of his labor.”
After completing the project and signing his name across the bottom of the mural, Guthrie said he feels like he created something that properly represents the squadron.
“It feels good knowing that years and years will go by and my work will still be there,” Guthrie said. “It’s like a part of me left behind, kind of like a legacy.”