Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 kicks off


Blog Editor Note: For my NW US readers be sure to have a scanner tuned to 349.400 MHz and monitor the McChord Field (KTCM) AMC Command Post frequency for activity.

Other aero frequencies to watch from Joint Base Lewis McChord:

106.100 ATIS (VHF)
118.175 Ground Control
124.800 Tower
126.500 A/D
134.100 AMC Commercial Contract Aircraft only
225.525 A/A Interplane
239.000 A/D
259.300 Tower
270.100 ATIS (UHF)
279.650 Ground Control
290.900 Ground Control
311.000 AMC Command Post
340.300 AFSOC Training
341.800 AMC Training
342.300 PMSV Metro
372.200 PTD
377.150 A/D (replaced 391.900 MHz)
379.400 AMC Training

I should also note that 264.900 was used at the 2007 rodeo at McChord for air drops and training.

Here is a list of players seen on Mode-S so far enroute or around McChord using the Rodeo c/s:

AE2FA9 08-8197 RODEO90 C-17A United States USAF 62AW
AE0810 99-0170 RODEO61 C-17A United States USAF 3WG|517AS
AE023C 63-8888 RODEO60 KC-135R United States USAF 6AMW|91ARS
AE07C1 63-8017 RODEO59 KC-135R United States USAF 97AMW|55ARS
AE0427 61-0290 RODEO58 KC-135R United States HI ANG 154Wing|203ARS
AE015D 63-8879 RODEO56 KC-135R United States USAF 92ARW
AE0584 87-0039 RODEO55 C-5B United States AFRC 439AW|337AS
AE2FAC 08-8200 RODEO54 C-17A United States USAF 305AMW|6AS
AE0559 83-1285 RODEO53 C-5M United States USAF 436AW|9AS
AE1456 05-5152 RODEO52 C-17A United States USAF 15WG|535AS
AE05DF 87-9282 RODEO51 C-130H United States AFRC 440AW|95AS
AE0236 87-0124 RODEO50 KC-10A United States USAF 305AMW
AE0801 98-0055 RODEO49 C-17A United States USAF 97AMW
AE1BED 06-8611 RODEO48 C-130J-30 United States USAFE 86AW|37AS
AE048C 63-8883 RODEO46 KC-135R United States USAF 97AMW|55ARS
ADFDED 94-6708 RODEO43 C-130H United States WV ANG 130AW|130AS
AE01B7 84-0081 RODEO41 C-21A United States USAFE 86AW|76AS
AE49C5 09-9209 RODEO40 C-17A United States USAF 62AW
AE2FA4 08-8192 RODEO37 C-17A United States USAF 62AW
AE0169 86-0204 RODEO35 C-20B United States USAF 89AW|99AS
AE146C 07-7174 RODEO34 C-17A United States USAF 436AW|3AS
AE1BF2 07-4639 RODEO33 C-130J-30 United States USAF 19AW
AE04E8 60-0356 RODEO31 KC-135R United States USAF 22ARW
AE29DE 08-3174 RODEO27 C-130J United States USAF 317AG
AE49C2 09-9206 RODEO25 C-17A United States USAF 437AW
AE0368 63-8013 RODEO22 KC-135R United States OH ANG 121ARW
ADFDEC 94-6707 RODEO21 C-130H United States WV ANG 130AW|130AS
AE145C 06-6158 RODEO19 C-17A United States USAF 60AMW|21AS
480C04 G-275 RODEO17 C-130H-30 Netherlands 336sqn
343083 T.10-03 RODEO12 C-130 Spain Air Force ALA35
761054 4180 RODEO10 C-130 Pakistan Air Force

by Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski, Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., (AFNS) -- Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 kicked off here July 24.

Airmen from around the world, including seven international teams, are participating in the biennial competition that focuses on mission readiness, featuring airdrops, aerial refueling and other events that showcase the skills of mobility crews.

This year's event promises to be the largest rodeo ever, said Col. R. Wyn Elder, the commander of the 62nd Air Mobility Wing, the host unit for the event.

In addition, teams from 20 nations have traveled here to observe the various challenges with the hopes of competing in the future.

During the opening ceremonies, the commander of Air Mobility Command, Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., inspected the units standing in formation participating in Rodeo 2011.

With him was Brig. Gen. Rick Martin, the Rodeo 2011 commander, who welcomed the teams.

"There is no greater assembly of mobility professionals," Martin said. "Let's celebrate camaraderie ... and let's do it all safely."

Riders on horseback presented the flags of each international team. As representatives of the host nation, parachutists from the 627th Special Tactics Squadron jumped from the back of a C-17 Globemaster III, displaying the American and POW/MIA flags.

This year marks the first time the event is being held since the advent of joint basing, as noted by the 62nd AMW commander, Col. R. Wyn Elder.

Elder thanked the garrison commander, Army Col. Thomas H. Brittain, for his support in putting on Rodeo 2011.

Brittain has overseen Joint Base Lewis-McChord since the two installations merged, and Elder called him, "Without question, the finest Airman in the United States Army."

"We want you all to focus on the competition at hand," Elder said to the crowd. "We're excited to open the doors to Joint Base Lewis-McChord to you and I look forward to the best rodeo competition ever.

"Let camaraderie define victory," the colonel added.

That spirit of competition has been a tradition of rodeos in the past.

For Adjutant Joris Retty, a C-130 Hercules loadmaster from the Belgium air force, this year marks his third rodeo. He was previously here in 2005 and 2009.

When one of his teammates fell ill, he said he jumped at the chance to come back and help coach the rest of his team.

"Nothing motivates me more than the spirit of competition," Retty said. "It's great to meet people from other nations and socialize. I actually went to loadmaster school at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, so it's nice to be back in America. I can't wait to get started."

The competition culminates at the end of the week with the crowning of the rodeo champion. The 62nd AMW from McChord won the last rodeo in 2009.