TOP STORY >>Team ready to rock Rodeo 2007

By Staff Sgt. Kati Garcia
314th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

With exactly 30 days left, training at Little Rock Air Force Base is in full force for the 2007 Air Mobility Command Rodeo.
Roughly 55 teams from around the world will take part in the 2007 Rodeo July 22 through July 28 at McChord AFB, Wash.
“Everyone competing is highly skilled, highly trained and highly motivated,” said Capt. Robert Shaw, 314th Security Forces Squadron operations officer. “Our goal, going into this, is to bring the trophy back to Little Rock, and bring the Rodeo back as well.”

The competition, sponsored by AMC, is a Mobility Air Forces readiness competition. This competition focuses on improving worldwide air mobility forces’ professional core abilities.

And the Little Rock community has been very vocal about their desire to host Rodeo here in 2009.

“We would love nothing more than to host the entire competition right here beginning in 2009,” said Chris Roberts, head of the Airpower or Arkansas committee. “We are sending a team of community leaders to McChord Air Force Base during this year’s Rodeo to campaign this cause.”

Rodeo showcases airdrop, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, security forces competitions, short field landings and related group operations, and provides an opportunity for the world’s aerial refuelers and airlifters to demonstration capabilities, improve procedures, compare notes and enhance more 50 teams from the active duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard unites as well as Allied Nations, according to the official Rodeo website.

Team Little Rock is sending two teams to compete – one from the 314th Airlift Wing and one from the 463rd Airlift Group.
“We’re taking both the old and the new from Little Rock,” said Maj. Thomas Rogers, 62nd Airlift Squadron and the pilot in charge of the C-130E team.

And some think that might make for more difficult competition.

“Our biggest competition, honestly, is going to be the C-130Es from right here,” said Capt. Perry Goebel, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Gold aircraft maintenance unit officer in change and the chief for the C-130J maintenance team. “We are going to win the entire competition, but we’re facing some tough competition.”

The confidence that Capt. Goebel has is prevalent among the entire Little Rock AFB Rodeo community.

“Our maintainers are the best in the business and they’re doing a great job for us,” said Maj. Rogers. “We’re looking forward to bringing back some hardware. My expectation is that we’ll win it all!”

1st Lt. Jason Purcell, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance officer and the C-130E team chief, said morale is very high, the teams are very motivated and “they are ready to get out there and defend out title.”

Rodeo training for all competitors will continue around base until the teams depart next month.