178 FW holds second annual fitness expo Published April 24, 2013 By Maj. Lindsay Logsdon 178th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The 178th Fighter Wing held its 2nd Annual Fitness Expo, April 20, at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio. The event was kicked off with a Wingman Day presentation. "Today is about taking care of each other, it's about wellness, about looking at each other and making sure we're all doing well whatever the challenges may be," said Col. Gregory Schnulo, wing commander. The day was geared toward the whole Airman concept of being fit mentally, spiritually as well as physically. While the wing no longer flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the need for a good wingman remains as important. Lt. Col. Bernard Willis, 178 FW chief of safety, reminded wing members, "Part of taking care of each other is making ourselves available to each other." Before dismissal, he challenged Airmen to meet other potential wingmen. More than 12 physical, spiritual and mental organizations were available for Airmen to visit. The emphasis was on fitness activities with the majority of vendors catering to skills and workouts that could help Airmen improve their strength and overall fitness and to help prepare for their annual fitness assessment. The fitness expo ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was coordinated by Senior Airman Madeline Carpenter, 178th Civil Engineering Squadron, Staff Sgt. Bryce Hensley and Staff Sgt. Joe Dennis both from the 178th Communications Flight. These Airmen's individual efforts and face-to-face contact brought the vendors in for the expo. More than 200 wing personnel attended the expo. "All of the vendors were awesome and have said they would come back for another expo," said Hensley. "It was a good chance for folks to get fitness information," said Dennis. "We were able to introduce vendors from the local area to the base and educate members on different fitness movements and different ways to eat right." Some of the events hosted at the expo were a fire fighter challenge, a Crossfit challenge as well as a powerlifting challenge. The final event for the fitness expo was the 5K run. More than 35 Airmen participated in the 3.1 mile run. The 178th Communications Squadron was not shut in by the cool weather, with more than 12 personnel participating. The first place male finisher was Airman First Class Dustin Snyder, 178th CES with a time of 18:19 and the first place female finisher was Staff Sgt. Lisa Stork, 178th Operational Support Squadron, with a time of 25:12. Overall, the coordinators felt the expo was a success. Currently, there are no plans for another fitness expo this year. Feedback regarding the event or ideas for the next expo can be sent to Carpenter, Hensley or Dennis.