Museum Member Jim Bernethy is pictured here driving his 1953 Dodge weapons Carrier Truck for Gen. Arthur Lichte, Air Mobility Command commander, and Maj. Gen. Brooks Bash, RODEO 2009 commander, in the "pass and review" portion of the opening ceremonies for Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2009 July 19 at McChord AFB.  The Museums C-141 & C-124 were also opened Rodeo participants and visitors.

The 62nd Airlift Wing wrapping up the “Best of the Best” award at Rodeo 2009 was merely the icing on the cake, Rodeo officials said this week while reflecting on hosting the mobility competition. Since Rodeo’s debut at McChord in 1994, the 2009 competition has to go down as the best so far, according to Jonathan Harris, a Rodeo program manager who’s attended each one here. “The planning has gotten better and we’ve constantly improved theinfrastructure for Rodeo along the way,” Mr. Harris said. “McChord really has the stamp on the Rodeo plan now.”

From the lodging and rental car arrangements to the setup and maintenance at Rainier Ranch, Mr. Harris praised the extensive volunteer support network which was required to orchestrate such a highprofile event. “All the Wranglers and the folks at the 62nd Civil Engineer Squadron, as well as the base populace, worked really hard to make this a great event,” he said.  At one point during the week, there were five four-star generals in attendance, as well as the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy.

“That’s a lot of exposure, but it shows we do a great job,” Mr. Harris said. “When you gather that many people from around the world together for nearly a week straight and have no major mishaps or injuries, you walk away and say ‘wow’”.While the behind-the-scenes workings of Rodeo went off without a hitch, the 62nd AW team took care of business on the scoreboard.

In addition to taking home the top overall award — the Best Air Mobility Team — the wing also captured awards for best C-17 team, best airdrop team, best C-17 low-level airdrop crew, best C-17 aircrew and best C-17 post-fl ight team. It also grabbed the top spot for the best aerial port challenge course team and the best joint inspection team.

“It really makes everything worth it for all the effort the guys put into the training,” said Maj. Timothy Kimbrough, 62nd AW Rodeo team chief.

While the 62nd Operations Group team got off to a slow start in the arrival portion of the competition, it was the lone hiccup in a nearly flawless week of competition. The team bounced back with a stellar performance in the cargo delivery system drop. “It turned (the competition) around and things really snowballed from there,” he said. “They fed off it.” The 62nd Aerial Port Squadron team turned in a second place overall finish in its competition, winning the challenge course and best joint inspection team. “We worked really hard to win the challenge course … it’s basically the bread and butter in our career field,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Hartman, 62nd APS team captain. “Everyone stuck with it … that was awesome,” he said. “People are (now) walking around with their heads held a little higher.”

The 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron team did its part in contributing to the overall team title, winning the best C-17 post-flight competition. “To win that was a big accomplishment,” said Capt. Burgess Gow, 62nd AMXS team captain. “We kept it together, and that says a lot about the team.”

Fielding a team composed of Airmen new to Rodeo, the 62nd Security Forces Squadron put together a solid week of competition, finishing second overall. “They gave it 100 percent effort and I’m very proud of each one of them,” said Master Sgt. Guy Dashnea, 62nd SFS Rodeo team captain. The SFS team also took pride in the fact its training partners — 446th SFS team and the 92nd SFS from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. — performed so well. The 446th team won the competition while the 92nd SFS took third. “If we wanted anyone else to win it, it’s them,” Sergeant Dashnea said of the 446th SFS team.

Air Mobility Rodeo 2009 ended on July 24 with a closing ceremony and the announcement of 74 awards including the coveted "Best of the Best" Award. 

The competition is the Air Force's and Air Mobility Command's premier mobility competition and included seven international competitors and observers from 13 other nations.

The main awards presented during the closing ceremony were:

·         Best Air Mobility Team  62nd AW, McChord AFB, WA

·         Best C-5 Galaxy Team - 60th AMW, Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-17 Globemaster III Team - 62nd AW, McChord AFB, WA

·         Best C-130 Hercules/C-160 Team - 19th AW, Little Rock AFB,  AR

·         Best KC-10 Extender Team - 60th AMW, Travis AFB CA

·         Best KC-135 Stratotanker Team - 916th ARW, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C.

·         Best Airdrop Team - 62nd AW McChord AFB

·         Best Air-land Team - 60th AMW Travis AFB

·         Best Tanker Team - 97th AMW, Altus AFB, OK

·         Best Aerial Refueling Team (tanker) -  22nd ARW, McConnell AFB, KS

·         Knuckle Buster Award - 374th AW, Yokota AB, Japan.

·         Best Aerial Port Team - 19th AW,  Little Rock AFB, AR.

·         Best Contingency Response Team - 621st CRW, McGuire AFB, N.J.

·         Best Security Forces Team - 446th AW, McChord AFB WA.

·         Best Aeromedical Evacuation Team - 86th AW, Ramstein AB, Germany

·         Best International Team - South Korea.

The sub-category winners were:

·         Best Fit-to-Fight Team - 446th AW, McChord AFB

·         Best Aeromedical Evacuation Configuration - Turkey

·         Best Aeromedical Evacuation Contingency Flight 86th AW Ramstein AB, Germany

·         Best Security Forces Combat Weapons Team - 92nd ARW Fairchild AFB, WA

·         Best Security Forces Combat Shooter Airman 1st Class Cory C. Linn 60th AMW from Travis AFB, CA

·         Best Security Forces Combat Tactics Team - Germany

·         Best Combat Endurance Course Team -  305th AMW/514th AMW, McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best Aerial Port Challenge Course Team - 62nd AW McChord AFB, WA

·         Best Aerial Port 10K Forklift Operators - 521st AMOW Ramstein AB, Germany

·         Best 60K Tunner Team - 60th AMW, Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-5 ERO Team - 60th AMW, Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-17 ERO Team - 97th AMW, Altus AFB.

·         Best C-130 ERO Team - 19th AW, Little Rock AFB.

·         Best En route ERO Team  - 521st AMOW Ramstein AB, Germany

·         Best In-transit Visibility Team - 19th AW  Little Rock AFB, AR

·         Best Joint Inspection Team - 62nd AW McChord AFB, WA

·         Best Joint Airdrop Inspection Team 43rd AW Pope AFB, NC

·         Best Contingency Response HELAMS Team 621st CRW McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best Contingency Response SPICE Team 621st CRW McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best Contingency Operations ERO Team 615th CRW  Travis AFB, CA

·         Best Low-level Airdrop Crew - 47th FTW,  Laughlin AFB, TX

·         Best T-1 AR Crew - 47th FTW Laughlin AFB

·         Best T-1 Aircrew - 47th FTW Laughlin AFB

·         Best C-5 AR Crew - 60th AMW Travis AFB

·         Best C-5 Aircrew  - 60th AMW Travis AFB

·         Best C-17 Low-level Airdrop Crew - 62nd AW McChord AFB

·         Best C-17 AR Crew - 437th AW/315th AW Charleston AFB, SC

·         Best C-17 Short Field Landing Crew - 437th AW/315th AW Charleston AFB, SC

·         Best Backing/Combat Offload Crew - 305th AMW and 514th AMW from McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best C-17 Aircrew  - 62nd AW McChord AFB, WA

·         Best C-130 Low-level Airdrop Crew - 86th AW Ramstein AB Germany

·         Best C-130 Short Field Landing Crew - 19th AW, Little Rock AFB, AR.

·         Best C-130 Backing/Combat Off-load Crew - 314th AW  Little Rock AFB AR.

·         Best C-130 Aircrew, (Col. Joe M. Jackson Trophy) - Israel.

·         Best KC-10 AR Crew - 60th AMW Travis AFB, CA

·         Best KC-10 Cargo Loading Crew - 305th AMW/514th AMW McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best KC-10 Aircrew - 60th AMW Travis AFB, CA

·         Best KC-135 AR Crew - 121st ARW, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, OH.

·         Best KC-135 Cargo Loading Crew - 916th ARW Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC

·         Best KC-135 Aircrew, (Gen. Bruce K. Holloway Trophy) - 916th ARW Seymour-Johnson AFB NC

·         Best OSA/VIPSAM Arrival Crew - 86th AW, Ramstein AB Germany

·         Best OSA/VIPSAM Aircrew - 375th Airlift Wing Scott AFB, Ill

·         Best C-5 Preflight Team  - 60th AMW Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-5 Post-flight Team - 60th AMW Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-17 Pre-flight Team - 437th AW/315th AW Charleston AFB, NC

·         Best C-17 Post-flight Team  - 62nd AW McChord AFB, WA

·         Best C-130 Pre-flight Team- 19th AW Little Rock AFB, AR

·         Best C-130 Post-flight Team - 314th AW Little Rock AFB, AR

·         Best KC-10 Pre-flight Team 305th AMW and 514th AMW McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best KC-10 Post-flight Team - 60th AMW Travis AFB, CA

·         Best KC-135 Pre-flight Team - 97th AMW Altus AFB, AR

·         Best KC-135 Post-flight Team 916th ARW Seymour-Johnson AFB, NJ

·         Best C-5 Maintenance Team - 60th AMW from Travis AFB, CA

·         Best C-17 Maintenance Team - 446th AW McChord AFB, WA

·         Best C-130 Maintenance Team - 19th AW Little Rock AFB, AR

·         Best KC-10 Maintenance Team - 305th AMW/ 514th AMW McGuire AFB, NJ

·         Best KC-135 Maintenance Team - 97th AMW,  Altus AFB, AR

(Special thanks to the NW Airlifters Tyler Hemstreet for his contributions to this article)