Rodeo ready to ride, wing ready to win Published July 13, 2007 By Col. Jerry Martinez 62nd Airlift Wing commander MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Team McChord, we have reached the home stretch for the Rodeo competition! The welcome mat is out for the Air Mobility Command Rodeo team and to our international competitors who began arriving this week. An incredible amount of work has gone into preparing for this great mobility competition, not only on base, but also in our local community. I want to thank all of our local leaders who have stepped up to help us welcome our guests from across the country and around the world. There's a reason why AMC chooses to bring Rodeo back to the Pacific Northwest year after year, and our wonderful community is a big part of that decision. In addition to our community, AMC knows it can count on McChord's Airmen to host a world-class competition. Despite a high operations tempo including many inspections, deployments and many other events, Team McChord has been carefully planning this event for more than a year. Now, we're transitioning from planning mode to execution. More than 400 McChord Airmen have stepped up to volunteer as wranglers, distinguished visitor escorts and team hosts. For the next two weeks, these Airmen will be busy behind the scenes, keeping our guests comfortable and Rodeo running smoothly. While these Airmen will be showing off the hospitality of the Evergreen State, another group of Airmen from the 62nd Airlift Wing will show our guests our competitive side. We have four teams of razor sharp professionals -- aerial porters, maintainers, security forces and aircrew -- who will stand toe-to-toe with the best mobility Airmen in the world and, in the words of one of our team chiefs, show them all how "big, bad and ugly" McChord Airmen are on the field of competition. This is a friendly competition, but make no mistake, we're here to win! Like all the competitors, the 62nd AW has chosen its best to put forward, and I am confident we will bring home trophies. Our Airmen prove they are the best in the world every day as we keep those green tails flying to all corners of the globe. Now we will have the opportunity prove to our colleagues that the men and women of the 62nd AW are the "Best of the Best." Thank you Team McChord for the work you've done. I hope you will come out to enjoy the competition and cheer on our McChord Airmen.