19th AW Legacy Maintenance RODEO team

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Mallory Glass
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The 19th Airlift Wing C-130 Legacy maintenance team departed today to compete in Air Mobility Command's RODEO at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

"The maintainers were chosen due to their specialties and career fields," said 1st Lt. Paul Ellis, the officer-in-charge of the 19th Maintenance RODEO Team. "We want to showcase our amazing Airmen who have impeccable attention to detail and are considered the best in their specialties."

The team's scored competitions contribute to 20 percent of the overall points available for the 19th AW RODEO team. According to Ellis, the team's events are fuel servicing; launch, recovery and daily maintenance; preflight inspections, which involve concerted attention to detail due to the "white-glove" scrutiny performed by the RODEO umpires; and the knuckle buster award, which measures professionalism, dedication and mutual respect for competitors.

"Our training for RODEO is what we do every day," said Staff Sgt. Julian Pacheco. "RODEO gives us a platform to compete in events that we perform with precision every day."

"We do our jobs every day with precision but at RODEO we will able to compete as a team," agreed Senior Airman Bruce Allen, a 19th AMXS crew chief. "I have really enjoyed the solidarity that has been built from our hard work and preparations for RODEO."

"Our Airmen work so hard here," said Ellis. "RODEO allows them to demonstrate the talents they use every day to accomplish the mission. When it gets down to it we have a very high operational tempo, and it allows them to quantitatively show their skills."

The 19th C-130 Legacy Maintenance Team consists of the following Airmen: 1st Lt. Paul Ellis, officer-in-charge; Master Sgt. Kenneth Sisk, team chief; Tech. Sgt. Adam Meffert, engines lead; Tech. Sgt. Pat Brand, communication and navigation; Staff Sgt. Alex O'Donnell, engines; Staff Sgt. Stephen Schneider, guidance and control; Staff Sgt. Andrew Diel, electrics; Senior Airman Michael Schmidt, hydraulics; and Senior Airman Bruce Allen, aircraft general (crew chief), all from the 19 th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Staff Sgt. Julian Pacheco, assistant team chief; Staff Sgt. Shane Owens, air ground equipment; and Airman 1st Class, Jacob Shuss, aircraft general (crew chief), from the 19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron.