Road to the Rodeo: part 1

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Nichols
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  A group of Yokota's sharpest Airmen have been selected to join an elite group of Airmen around the world to participate in the 2011 Air Mobility Command Rodeo, which begins July 23 at Joint-Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

The event will showcase each team's readiness and ability to perform critical wartime skills.

All teams participating in the RODEO began practice April 29 and keep a strict schedule, to include numerous physical fitness sessions and maintenance on the plane.

"Each team has at least three physical training sessions per week, including the wing run," said. Lt. Col. David Nardozzi, rodeo team lead. "In addition to rodeo preparation, team members are also working their normal jobs, which also help them prepare for their rodeo role."

As the team lead, Colonel Nardozzi monitors the training and works with the teams to continue planning and preparation for the upcoming competition. He also worked with each squadron to choose the Airmen who were the most qualified to participate in this year's event.

"Team members are selected based on how well they accomplish the tasks they will be performing during the competition," said Colonel Nardozzi. "The truth is, there are so many worthy candidates that separating them can be difficult; so many Airmen in the 374th Airlift Wing are outstanding at what they do."

Among the few Airmen chosen to compete, Staff Sgt. Cravenkeo Khamone, from the 36th Airlift Squadron, was selected to be a loadmaster evaluator.

Loadmasters will be judged on reverse taxiing and combat offloading. This being Sergeant Khamone's first year participating in the rodeo, it is hard for him to hide his eagerness to get involved.

"I'm really excited and nervous at the same time since this is my first time actually being graded really hard on everything I am doing," said Sergeant Khamone. "It will be a new experience to be able to do something different."

As stated in the rodeo mission statement, the competition generates an 'esprit de corps' among the individual units, wings, MAJCOM's and Mobility Air Forces around the world. The event promotes professionalism and competition while recognizing the individual and team components that make up an Air Mobility Wing.

"We have assembled an outstanding group of competitors for this year's competition," said Colonel Nardozzi. "They are considered to be the best at their craft and they represent what all of Team Yokota has demonstrated over and over - that we are the best Airlift Wing in the Air Force."