Westover Wins Knucklebuster Award at Rodeo
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --
Westover Air Reserve Base won the Knucklebuster award at the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 competition. This Air Force level award recognizes the maintenance team with the highest standards of professionalism, dedication and mutual respect for competitors.
Teams from around the world participated in the competition, which is held every other year.
Air Force Reserve Command units won or partnered to win 28 of the 80 categories in the 2011 competition.
At the closing ceremony, the Rodeo commander addressed the thousands of people who had traveled from around the world to the biennial competition.
"We came to learn everything we can and work hard. Today, we hope to have a little fun as well, as we honor the competitors and their efforts," Brig. Gen. Rick Martin said.
In his address during the closing ceremony, General Martin called Rodeo "an opportunity to get together with our teammates from across the Air Force and around the world - to trade lessons learned and build camaraderie; to increase readiness and improve our military capability."
"We never know where we'll be operating next, whether it's aeromedical evacuation, support after a natural disaster, or delivering cargo, passengers or troops where they're most needed," Martin said. "The more partnerships we can build around the globe, the better we can perform our mission. That's what makes Rodeo so important," he added.
The following teams were named the winners at Rodeo 2011:
- Best Air Mobility Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus Air Force Base, Okla.
- The Knucklebuster Award, which recognizes the top maintenance team: 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.
- Best Aerial Port Team -- 62nd Airlift Wing/627th Air Base Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Best Security Forces Team -- Team McGuire, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
- Best Contingency Response Operations Team -- 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base MDL
- Best Financial Management -- 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
- Best Aeromedical Evacuation Team -- 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Best Aerial Refueling Team -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB (Receiver) and 92nd Air Refueling, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
- Best International Team -- Belgium
- Best C-5 Wing -- Team Dover, Dover AFB, Del.
- Best C-130 Wing -- 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- Best C-17 Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best KC-10 Wing -- Team Travis, Travis AFB, Calif.
- Best KC-135 Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best Airland Wing -- Team Dover, Dover AFB
- Best Tanker Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best Airdrop Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
Teams from around the world participated in the competition, which is held every other year.
Air Force Reserve Command units won or partnered to win 28 of the 80 categories in the 2011 competition.
At the closing ceremony, the Rodeo commander addressed the thousands of people who had traveled from around the world to the biennial competition.
"We came to learn everything we can and work hard. Today, we hope to have a little fun as well, as we honor the competitors and their efforts," Brig. Gen. Rick Martin said.
In his address during the closing ceremony, General Martin called Rodeo "an opportunity to get together with our teammates from across the Air Force and around the world - to trade lessons learned and build camaraderie; to increase readiness and improve our military capability."
"We never know where we'll be operating next, whether it's aeromedical evacuation, support after a natural disaster, or delivering cargo, passengers or troops where they're most needed," Martin said. "The more partnerships we can build around the globe, the better we can perform our mission. That's what makes Rodeo so important," he added.
The following teams were named the winners at Rodeo 2011:
- Best Air Mobility Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus Air Force Base, Okla.
- The Knucklebuster Award, which recognizes the top maintenance team: 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.
- Best Aerial Port Team -- 62nd Airlift Wing/627th Air Base Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Best Security Forces Team -- Team McGuire, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
- Best Contingency Response Operations Team -- 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base MDL
- Best Financial Management -- 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
- Best Aeromedical Evacuation Team -- 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Best Aerial Refueling Team -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB (Receiver) and 92nd Air Refueling, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
- Best International Team -- Belgium
- Best C-5 Wing -- Team Dover, Dover AFB, Del.
- Best C-130 Wing -- 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- Best C-17 Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best KC-10 Wing -- Team Travis, Travis AFB, Calif.
- Best KC-135 Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best Airland Wing -- Team Dover, Dover AFB
- Best Tanker Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
- Best Airdrop Wing -- 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB
