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RODEO 2009: Rainier Ranch serves as 'home away from home' for teams

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • RODEO 2009 Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  More than 100 teams from across the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and selected foreign countries are competing in Air Mobility Command's RODEO 2009. After hours, they need someplace to meet and greet - that's where Rainier Ranch comes into play.

Named for the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier seen in the distance from McChord AFB, Rainier Ranch is an open-space area that includes 46 tents and areas for 2,500-plus daily visitors expected at the ranch. Around the ranch are flags of participating nations and units providing a corral of colorful blooms.

"Forty-two of the tents are team tents and the remaining four are for other services offered in Rainier Ranch," Lt. Col. Tim Greminger said July 18. He is the city planner for the ranch from McChord's 446th Airlift Wing. "For the teams, this place in sort of their 'home away home' where they gather and build camaraderie. It's the entertainment center for RODEO."

To prepare the space for the week-long center of "off-hours learning," Colonel Greminger said the planning began more than a year ago. "There are a lot of logistics that go into planning for an event as big as RODEO so we planned well ahead of time," he said. "I think we are more than ready for this year's activities."

Among the team tents is the ranch home for the "Warriors of the North" from the 319th Air Refueling Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. Julie McWalter, marketing director for the 319th Force Support Squadron attending her second RODEO, said her team tent will have host activities for visitors.

"We wanted to do something that was different from last time," Ms. McWalter said. "Two years ago we didn't serve food so this time we decided we would. We brought along more than 200 pounds of red potatoes which we'll be grilling and serving from our tent. That's just one of the things we've brought along."

The potatoes, she said, are from North Dakota's fertile Red River Valley. It's a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North, which extends from near Fargo and northward.

"We're going to show the world what a red baked potato looks like and give them a taste of North Dakota," Ms. McWalter said. "But that's what RODEO is about and why I love coming here. In Rainier Ranch, we can all, in our own unique way, give people a taste of where we're from."

Colonel Greminger said McChord is the ideal place to hold RODEO and he was more than happy to have Rainier Ranch ready for the masses.

"McChord is the perfect place for RODEO," Colonel Greminger said. "We've got great air space throughout eastern Washington and we have a fantastic local community. There are more than 3,000 hotel rooms we have access to within a very short drive and we have more than 750 cars that were made available. These are all things you need to support RODEO.

"We've got a great group of people here - both active and Reserve - who know how to put together this joint effort," Colonel Greminger said. "As a base, we've been doing this for a while. We put on a great show here in Rainier Ranch and throughout the competition. I'm looking forward to all that's in store."