TOP STORY > >Team Little Rock Airmen compete

By Senior Airman Nathan Allen
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Little Rock Air Force Base Combat Airlifters are testing their skills against the world’s best at Air Mobility Command’s RODEO competition at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., that ends today. Teams from both the 19th Airlift Wing and the 314th Airlift Wing are showing why Little Rock AFB is the C-130 Center of Excellence.

RODEO is AMC’s Olympics of Air Force professional airlift abilities. To test these skills, teams from all over AMC, as well as international teams, came together to compete in events including aerial refueling, airdrop, aerial port, maintenance, military security forces, and aeromedical evacuation.

About 110 Airmen from Little Rock AFB competed this year.

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Turcotte, 314th Airlift Wing command chief, said each Airman from the Rock represented the base well.

“It’s inspiring. It’s nice to be able to watch our Airmen employ the tools they train with daily as members of Team Little Rock and present their combat power to the rest of AMC,” said Chief Turcotte. “This is their chance to show what we at Little Rock bring to the fight.”

Master Sgt. James Langston, 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCO-in-charge of aerial delivery and aerial port team chief, said that along with showing off skills, RODEO gives each competition the chance to network with contacts both new and old.

“This is an esprit de corps thing,” he said. “I catch up with these old guys I haven’t seen in years. At the end of the week, we’ll start asking questions like ‘how’d you do this’ and ‘how’d you do that.’ We start thinking ahead and that’s a big thing for us.

“To be able to see where we’ve been and talk about where we’re going ... this is our premiere airlift event,” Sergeant Langston added.

Staff Sgt. Nick Palmer, a member of the 314th AW’s joint airdrop inspection team and a 48th Airlift Squadron J-model instructor loadmaster, said an unrecognized factor at RODEO is all the people who don’t compete but still play a vital role in supporting the mission.
“A lot of people have to do their job to put me in the position to do mine,” said Sergeant Palmer. “Whether it’s services, weather shop, life support or maintenance, they contribute to my ability to be in the best position I can be to do my job. That motivates me to be as professional as I can be. To not do my best is disrespectful to everyone who makes my job possible.”

The competition ends today with the posting of official scores. Visit www.littlerock.af.mil for complete RODEO 2009 coverage.