rodeo closing ceremonies

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing Pacific aerial porters and Command Chief Master Sgt. Justin Ouchie, left, await the results of the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009 July 24 here. Their team of eight aerial porters from six squadrons around the Pacific trained at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, for seven weeks prior to the Rodeo. Flight crew members, maintainers, security forces, and joint airdrop inspection specialists here competed against more than 100 teams and 2,500 people from the Air Force and allied nations at this biennial, international competition July 19-24 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. The units competed in events that tested and judged every aspect of their career fields' core competencies. The Rodeo is designed to demonstrate air mobility mission capabilities, seek out new tactics, techniques, and procedures that improve mission results, increase esprit de corps both among competing teams and internationally, and build standardization and safety. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)