C3BM Airman places in national powerlifting contest

Published Jan. 6, 2026
By Richard Blumenstein
DAF PEO C3BM Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Standing 6-foot-3, weighing 252 pounds, Tech. Sgt. Zackary George projects every bit the warrior physique you would envision of a uniformed servicemember.

C3BM Airman places in national powerlifting contest

Tech. Sgt. Zackary George trains, here, Oct. 28. George recently won first place in USA Power Lifting’s Masters 1 Division and fifth place in its Raw Open with a combined total lift of 1,407.6 pounds. George is a program manager for Kessel Run’s Patriot Excalibur. Kessel Run is part of the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management. Kessel Run is a division that delivers resilient command and control and targeting software capabilities that provide warfighters with decision advantage. (Official Air Force Photo by Richard Blumenstein)

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The 40-year-old McDonald, Pennsylvania-native recently won first place in USA Powerlifting’s Massachusetts State Championship Masters 1 Division, and fifth place in its Raw Open event, with a combined total lift of 1,407.6 pounds – comprised of a 222.5-kilogram squat, a 160-kilogram bench press, and a 256-kilogram deadlift.

George is no stranger to powerlifting, having earned podium spots in the last five USAPL competitions he’s participated in prior to his current victory.

His previous competition stats include:
•   2025 USAPL Raw Nationals: Fourth place, total lift 1,455 pounds.
•   2024 USAPL Massachusetts State Championship: Third place, total lift 1,471.6 pounds.
•   2024 USAPL Northeast Regional Championships: Second place, total lift 1,592.8 pounds.
•   2024 USAPL Boston Open: First place, total lift 1,532.2 pounds.
•   2023 USAPL Urban Powerhouse Open: First place, total lift 1,427.5 pounds.

His journey into the world of competitive powerlifting began roughly five years ago. George felt like he wasn’t living up to his potential and decided to set an extreme yearlong fitness goal focused on health, wellness, and strength.

Tech. Sgt. Zackary George works on Kessel Run projects, here, Oct. 21. Kessel Run is part of the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management. Kessel Run is a division that delivers resilient command and control and targeting software capabilities that provide warfighters with decision advantage. George is a program manager for KR’s Patriot Excalibur. (Official Air Force Photo by Richard Blumenstein)

“I felt like I was out of shape,” he said. “I cut roughly 40 pounds in a few months. I was running and strength training every day.”

George reached his yearlong goal of a 225-pound bench press, a 315-pound squat, and a 405-pound deadlift in less than three months.

“I just kept updating my goals and achieving them,” he said. “Somebody recommended that if I was going to spend that much time in the gym, I might as well go compete.”

George signed up for a local powerlifting competition in 2023, in Boston, and came in first place in his weight class. The victory set him on a journey, and he kept competing and winning local contests before moving onto regional, then state competitions.

“I’ve been training four times a week ever since,” he said. “I have a coach who tailors my training to me now and I work with a team.”

George is assigned to the Kessel Run division, where he is a program manager for its Patriot Excalibur application, software that delivers scheduling capabilities to Airmen. Kessel Run delivers resilient command and control, and targeting software capabilities that provide warfighters with decision advantage.

George's dedication to both his physical prowess and his contributions to the Air Force mission serve as an inspiration to his fellow Airmen. Whether he's ensuring warfighters have the software tools they need or pushing his own limits on the powerlifting platform, he embodies the Air Force core values of excellence and service. As he looks toward future competitions, his journey serves as a powerful example of what can be achieved through dedication and hard work.