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Wranglers rope up hard work for Air Mobiliity Rodeo '07

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nick Przybyciel
  • Rodeo 2007 Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, WASH. --  For the more than 200 "Wranglers" - the team of Airmen who bear the brunt of the work that goes into Air Mobility Rodeo 2007 - there are no shiny trophies or recognition at the event's closing celebration for a job well done. 

They're a group of mostly unsung heroes who work long hours at tough jobs, all to make the massive Rodeo competition possible to pull off. They began work nearly a month before the first team touched down here and will continue working weeks after the last team pulls chocks, all to support the nearly 3,000 people coming to McChord for Rodeo 2007 for the week-long event. 

"They're the backbone of the operation," said Capt. Jason York, officer-in-charge of the Wranglers. "Basically, anything that needs to get done, they're the guys to do it."
From shaking hands with distinguished visitors to setting up a tent city at Rainier Ranch, the wranglers bust their knuckles for an estimated total of 25,000 man hours during Rodeo, according to Captain York. 

Their labors began a few weeks prior to the competition, when a ten-member team began beautifying McChord Air Force Base. The Wranglers then added more bodies and got busy setting up Rainier Ranch in the days leading up to the competition. When events actually kick-off July 21, Captain York's team will switch gears and support security enforcement, be on stand-by in case a fire breaks out, and perform perhaps the least desirable duty of all - trash detail. 

However, their job doesn't end with when the teams leave. Somebody needs to clean everything up and tear it all down. That job also falls to the Wranglers. 

"Some of them will work 10-hour shifts for a while, but most will be on eights. It will be staggered, but they all will probably work the entire competition, nine days straight," Captain York said. 

Despite the hard work, the task of being a Wrangler comes with its own rewards.
"I just think it's cool to be a part of something so big - we have people from all over the world here," said Airman first Class Kent Koerner, an Airman from the 4th Airlift Squadron here. 

Airman Koerner didn't seem to mind breaking a sweat setting up tents as part of the Wrangler team. Instead, he was still excited about a barbecue he attended with the Brazilian Rodeo team the night before. 

"Being in the Air Force, we get to go to all of these other countries. But they don't usually come over here, so it's great that we can share our culture with them," he said.
There is another perk to some of the jobs performed by Wranglers - some quality face-time with Rodeo's VIPs. 

"The hand-shakers will have 10-hour days in the beginning, but they get to intermingle with some of the brass like they never have before," Captain York said. 

And, sometimes, it's those little rewards that count.