Good luck at Rodeo Team Travis

  • Published
  • By Col. Steve Arquiette
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  This Saturday, a small group of highly motivated and talented Team Travis Airmen will depart in a KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy to represent us next week at the Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Rodeo Competition, held at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. These fine Airmen have practiced very hard to prepare for the different facets of the competition including expertise in their specific jobs and physical fitness, and I have no doubt that they will be coming home with some well-earned trophies! 

The team will face competitors from other AMC, AF Reserve and Air National Guard bases, the U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to international teams from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Nineteen other countries are sending observer teams. Our 2005 RODEO Team performed extremely well taking home 13 of 22 trophies at the competition, but fell just short of winning the Commander's Air Mobility Wing Best Overall award, which went to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. With this in mind and with the confidence built from their hard work and dedication, I have no doubt that Team Travis will be in the hunt this year. 

Let's not forget, however, that this year's Travis Rodeo team is only a small sliver of the outstanding performers we have all over this base. The team is representing all of Team Travis. We must remember all those behind-the-scenes Airmen that will stay at home to support our critical mission while allowing the team to go show the talent all of Team Travis possesses. I'd like to thank our 349th Air Mobility Wing partners for their tremendous support. Many people have worked extra hours to allow the teams time to practice, and I appreciate your sacrifice. When the team comes home July 28, we will not only be celebrating their success, when they undoubtedly represent us well, but be sharing that success with Airmen and family member's of Team Travis. The hard work and dedication you all possess is why we continue to be "America's First Choice" in Air Mobility.

BE PROUD! BE SAFE!