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RODEO 2009: New event tests maintenance skills

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carrie M. Peasinger
  • RODEO 2009 Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  A large group of spectators fill bleachers and form a circle around a set of tables topped with maintenance supplies. In the middle of the crowd, someone is yelling out: "No member of the team is allowed to help another member. No looking at the other teams equipment. When all team members are done, go to your power unit and push it until all four wheels are over the finish line." 

Speaking is Chief Master Sgt. Mark Clegg, the supervisor of tanker operations at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., telling the maintenance teams the rules of the maintenance skills competition -- a new event that will be added to RODEO 2011.

"The maintainers' job is to generate aircraft everyday," said Chief Clegg. "The new event will provide an opportunity for maintenance to put their knowledge to the test in friendly competition."

The new event will evaluate maintainers' basic trouble shooting skills with five tests simulating a mock-airplane generation sequence. This includes electrical systems troubleshooting, Air Force forms documentation, safety wiring, tool inventory and finishing with a team push of a power unit, which is the last thing a maintainer will do before an airplane taxis for takeoff.

"These are tasks that maintainers are faced with daily," said Master Sgt. Troy Ballard, the co-narrator of the event. "This will help improve the core competencies of our job."

The competition will be scored based on the team's total time and least amount of discrepancies.

"Our goal is for RODEO 2011 to feature this event full scale, inviting all maintainers from U.S. and international teams to compete," said Chief Clegg.