JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Team Charleston returned with two awards July 30, after competing in Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
The 437th Airlift Wing was named Best C-17 Maintenance Skills team and Best C-17 Maintenance team.
"We went to the Rodeo with a single mindset - do our very best," said Lt. Col. Brady Caldwell, 437th Airlift Wing
Rodeo team lead. "That's exactly what we did and it showed."
The awards were given to the team with the highest score during the maintenance skills competition and the maintenance crew with the highest cumulative score overall.
Tech. Sgt. Jessy Martin, a crew chief from the 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron who participated in the Rodeo, said, "Bringing back those trophies to Charleston felt great. We were all stunned when they called us to the stage for two awards.
"We not only represented the hard-working maintainers from the 437th Maintenance Group who sweat it out on the flight line every day, but we represented Joint Base Charleston as a whole."
Col. Tony Clavenna, 437th Maintenance Group commander who observed the Rodeo team, said he was impressed by the troops who represented Team Charleston.
"I am grateful to work with some of the greatest Airmen in the world," he said. "To the maintenance team and every Airman who represented Team Charleston, you have made us proud."
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 maintenance team with the highest standards of professionalism, dedication and mutual respect for competitors: 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
The other award winners are:
Best C-5 Air-To-Air Refueling Team: Team Dover
Best C-17 Air-To-Air Refueling Team: 97th AMW
Best KC-10 Air-To-Air Refueling Team: Team Travis
Best KC-135 Air-To-Air Refueling Team: 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio
Best C-17 Air Drop Team: Team Alaska
Best C-130 Air Drop Team: 314th AW (C-130H)
Best C-17 Short Field Landing Team: 97th AMW
Best C-130 Short Field Landing Team: 302nd AW, Petersen AFB, Colo.
Best Joint Airdrop Inspection Team: Team Pope
Best C-17 Backing & Combat Offload Team: 15th WG, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
Best C-130 Backing & Combat Offload Team: 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
Best C-5 Aircrew: Team Dover
Best C-17 Aircrew: 97th AMW
Best C-130 Aircrew: 314th AW (C-130H)
Best KC-10 Aircrew: Team Travis
Best KC-135 Aircrew: 121st ARW
Best KC-10 Cargo Loading Team: Team McGuire
Best KC-135 Cargo Loading Team: 121st ARW
Best C-5 Preflight Team: Team Dover
Best C-17 Preflight Team: 62nd AW/627th ABG
Best C-130 Preflight Team: 317th AG
Best KC-10 Preflight Team: Team Travis
Best KC-135 Preflight Team: 22nd ARW, McConnell AFB, Kan.
Best C-5 Maintenance Skills Team: Team Dover
Best C-17 Maintenance Skills Team: 437th AW, Joint Base Charleston
Best C-130 Maintenance Skills Team: 314th AW
Best KC-10 Maintenance Skills Team: Team Travis
Best KC-135 Maintenance Skills Team: 97th AMW
Best Maintenance Skills Team: 314th AW
Best C-5 Maintenance Team: Team Dover
Best C-17 Maintenance Team: 437th AW
Best C-130 Maintenance Team: 314th AW
Best KC-10 Maintenance Team: Team Travis
Best KC-135 Maintenance Team: Team MacDill
Best Aerial Port Challenge Course Team: 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Best C-5 Engine Running Offload: Team Dover
Best C-17 Engine Running Offload: 62nd AW, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Best C-130 Engine Running Offload: 910th AW, Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Squadron, Ohio
Best In-Transit Visibility: 62nd AW/627th ABG
Best Joint Inspection Team: 621st CRW
Best 10K Forklift Operator Team: 521st AMOW
Best 25K Halverson Loader Team: Team Travis
Best Pallet Build-Up Team: 317th AG
Best Advanced Designated Marksman/Sharpshooter: 621st CRW
Best Combat Tactics Team: Team McGuire
Best Combat Weapons Team: 446th AW
Best Combat Endurance Team: Team Alaska
Best Fit-To-Fight Team: Team Ramstein
Best Aeromedical Evacuation Contingency Team: 446th AW
Best Aeromedical Evacuation C-17 Configuration Team: 302nd AW
Best Aeromedical Evacuation KC-135 Configuration Team: 302nd AW
Best Flight Attendant Emergency Egress Team: 99th AS, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
Best Flight Attendant Culinary Team: Team Ramstein
Best Flight Attendant Team: Team Ramstein
Best Contingency Operations ERO Team: 615th CRW, Travis AFB, Calif.
Best Contingency Operations HELAMS Team: 621st CRW
Best Contingency Operations SPICE Team: 621st CRW
Best OSA/VIPSAM Precision Landing Team: Team Ramstein
Best OSA/VIPSAM DV Block in Team: Team Ramstein
Best OSA/VIPSAM Team: Team Ramstein
Best T1 Low Level/Airdrop Team: 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
Best T1 AR Team: 12th FTW, Randolph AFB, Texas
Best T1 Team: 14th FTW, Columbus AFB, Miss.