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Air Mobility Command announces dates for Rodeo 2005

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Rodeo 2005, Air Mobility Commands premier international mobility competition, will take place June 19 through 24 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. The competition focuses on readiness, and features airdrops, air refueling, special tactics and other events showcasing security forces, aerial port, maintenance and aeromedical evacuation personnel.

Gen. John W. Handy, commander of AMC and U.S. Transportation Command, determined it was time to resume the competition which had been on a three-year hiatus following the Sept.11, 2001 attacks.

Our overall operations tempo remains high, said General Handy, but we cant afford to wait any longer to resume this important competition. After all, it is this spirit of competition that builds strong bonds within AMC and lasting relationships between our AMC professionals and our international partners. I look forward to another outstanding Rodeo experience!

The first command-wide airdrop competition was held at Scott AFB in April 1962. The annual events were cancelled in the mid to late 1960s due to operational commitments in Southeast Asia and again in the 1970s because of declining budgets and decreased emphasis on airdrop capabilities. Rodeo was reinstated in 1979 and the first worldwide competition in which allies were invited took place in 1980.

The last biennial competition took place in May 2000 at Pope AFB, N.C. More than 2,500 people from Air Force active duty, Reserve and Guard organizations and international participants from 11 other countries participated. AMC support for the war on terrorism resulted in a significant increase in the operations tempo, making it impractical to convene Rodeo in 2002 and 2004 as originally planned.

General Handy has named Maj. Gen. Christopher Kelly as the Rodeo 2005 commander.

Planning is already under way for this great air mobility display, said General Kelly, commander of the Air Mobility Warfare Center, Fort Dix., N.J. Were putting together a world-class competition for our global mobility warriors. Air mobility has come into its own as a key component of all military operations. Rodeo not only recognizes the best of the best, but allows our Airmen as well as many of our international partners to learn and share new and better techniques in responding to international crises.