Ready for RODEO

Staff Sgt. Jordan Leonard, a 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron hydraulics craftsman checks the servicing utility reservoir of a C-13o in preparation for the Air Mobility Command Rodeo July 18, 2011, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. For this year’s competition More than 150 teams and 3,000 people from the Air Force, and Air Force Reserve, as well as allied nations, are expected to participate. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Rusty Frank)

Ready for RODEO

Published July 21, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Regina Agoha
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's C-130J maintenance team leaves today for the Air Mobility Command RODEO competition with expectations of winning.

Team members are filled with the third core value, Excellence in all we do, as they've prepared for each aspect of their section of the competition.

"We will be tested on our aircraft inspection performance," said Master Sgt. Lottie Walker, production superintendent and C-130J maintenance team chief. "We'll do follow-up inspections on our pre-flights and scheduled maintenance, and we will be graded on that," he said.

Walker said, in order for his team of 10 members to prepare, they made sure everything is in order on the aircraft. As far as cleanliness, he said, the aircraft has been painted, and the flight deck has been refurbished. They have been working and doing all the maintenance on the same plane for RODEO, a C-130J, and it's ready to go.

A normal RODEO prep for the J maintenance team would last 45 days, said Walker, but due to certain other things, such as the Operational Readiness Exercise, the team had three weeks to prepare this time.

"We have the advantage of defending the title, because we won the last RODEO in 2009, taking home three different awards," said Staff Sgt. Clint White, C-130J maintenance team member.

Both new members of the team, White and Walker, feel that they have standards to uphold from previous team members.

"We will be defending the champions. They will all be looking to beat our team," said Walker.

The C-130J maintenance team rotates team members so that everyone will get a shot to compete, said Walker.

White said he is not nervous at all about RODEO, rather very confident. "We are building team spirit and are ready to go."

"We've been fortunate to have team integrity while working together the last couple of weeks," said Walker. "We came together and work as one team. We're not going there to lose. We never go anywhere to lose," he said.

Members of the team are: 1st Lt. Paul Ellis, Tech. Sgt. Jeff Parks, Tech. Sgt. Pat Brand, Staff Sgt. Richard Vallejo, Staff Sgt. F.C. Page, Airman 1st Class Tyler Weir, Staff Sgt. Todd Caulfield, Airman 1st Class Ryan Bosch, Walker and White.