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Into the beast: Air transportation Airmen compete in Air Mobility Rodeo 2007

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mark Orders-Woemper
  • Air Mobility Rodeo 2007 Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  With engines blazing, the door slams the ground, causing man and machine to make a mad dash towards a giant beast with its mouth open, growling, shaking, and waiting to devour all in its path. 

While this may seem like a fictional tale of Moby Dick or Harry Potter proportions, this is the scene of one of the biggest competitions ground crews compete in during Air Mobility Rodeo 2007 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., July 22-27. 

The ERO competition, which stands for engines running onload/offload, is a culmination of all the skills possessed by air transportation Airmen, said Master Sgt. Victor Dorsey, Rodeo 2007 aerial port competition lead umpire. 

The event pits team against team in a race to see who can load and unload a cargo aircraft as fast and safe as possible - while the engines are still running.
While running up to an aircraft that hasn't shut down may seem dangerous, Airmen around the globe do this task on a daily basis to keep supplies and troops moving down range. 

"The environment we are trying to duplicate here is that of the real world," said Master Sgt. Jason Eighmey, Rodeo 2007 ERO event coordinator. "That's why we leave the engines running, just like they do in Iraq and Afghanistan every day." 

Even the safety measures during the ERO scenarios are seen as lessons in how to conduct business in real-life situations, said Sergeant Dorsey. 

"How we conduct our business here should be no different than how we do it in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else," Sergeant Eighmey said. "Safety is paramount in all that we do." 

Despite other competitions that test their skills, for aerial port troops, the ERO is their main reason for coming to Rodeo, said Sergeant Dorsey. Rodeo 2007 is a readiness competition of U.S. and international mobility air forces. It focuses on improving war fighting capabilities and support of the Global War on Terror. 

"Everything we do up until this point, from the cradle to the grave leads up to this point," said Sergeant Dorsey. "Once you load that aircraft up, that's the capstone; we live to load planes." 

Not only are the competitors trained to complete EROs in the real world environment, they specifically train just for this competition for several weeks, said Senior Airman Stewart Simpson, an aerial port troop and Air Force Reservist from the 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. 

"We had two days of ERO training a week," he said. "One day was a live ERO, and the other was a static ERO, where we would run through three or four ERO scenarios back-to-back to get into the groove." 

Being in top shape is important when competing in an event like the ERO because of how physically demanding it is, he added. Once the vehicles are loaded onto the aircraft, team members are required to chain them down fast, which can put a lot of strain on the body.

"Every morning at 7 we would meet at the gym, pool or fitness trail," Airman Simpson explained. "Two days a week we were lifting, two days a week we were swimming and we ran the fitness trail," he said. 

The competition not only promotes fitness, fun and camaraderie, it also provides a way for team members to learn valuable lessons and skills from others. 

"There were a lot of little tips and tricks I learned about things like slinging chains and tying stuff down that I would not have learned had we not participated in the Rodeo," Airman Simpson said. 

The ERO competition is unique because it's the only event that combines both air and ground crews, said Sergeant Eighmey. He also said the level of competition in this event is some of the most intense of the entire Rodeo. 

"Everyone has a lot of zeal and passion for this competition," explained Sergeant Dorsey. "This is what it's all about." 

Master Sgt. Walter O'Brien, the 315th AW aerial port team chief, told what the ERO meant to him and his team. 

"After our first live ERO in training, we all came off the aircraft all fired up," said Sergeant O'Brien. "I told my team, this is Rodeo; this is what Rodeo is all about." 

Sprinting out of the roaring beast, the aerial porters look back, and seeing the load door close, they know their mission was a success. Into the belly of the beast and back, they have made a difference.