Rodeo commander: Be safe. Be competitive. Have fun. Published June 20, 2005 Welcome to Rodeo 2005! It is a privilege to be among so many air mobility professionals gathered in the pursuit of excellence. Our international teams and observers come from around the globe. Our American forces come from Air Mobility Command, the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, Air Education and Training Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, and the Marine Corps. I am also excited to announce that for the first time in Rodeo history we are showcasing AMCs vital Operation Support Airlift/VIP Special Air Mission. Rodeo is a warfighters competition; it is not just for show! All these teams will be competing to see who is best of the best in critical warfighting skills such as airdrop, air refueling, aerial port, aeromedical evacuation, security forces, aircraft maintenance and others. The will to win drives them to excellence. It is this excellence that must continue to be honed. Air mobility has been the great enabler for the Global War on Terrorism and it will be even more so for the next conflict. There is no supply chain without airlift. There is no close air support without air refueling. Wounded soldiers do not return to their families without aeromedical evacuation. The success of air mobility since the September 11th attacks was not just instant-on; it was built on years of training and competition. Despite the ongoing demands of GWOT, we must provide continued, realistic and demanding training opportunities to all our mobility forces. Rodeo is absolutely critical to this effort. In the spirit of competition, Rodeo not only allows the men and women of air mobility to test their abilities against their peers, but to share that knowledge with one another and build the joint and international bonds that will make us even stronger. I look forward to commanding an outstanding Rodeo. Be safe. Be competitive. Have fun. Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division Office of Public Affairs 503 Ward Drive, Room 214 Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335 618-229-7821