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20th LRS saddles up for vehicle rodeo

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber E. N. Jacobs
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Members from the 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations element saddled up against each other during the first-ever vehicle rodeo here July 6.

While the eight teams of two left their cowboy hats and lassos at home, the competitors came ready to test their communication and driving skills in this no-holds-barred challenge.

The rodeo consisted of two separate timed events: a forklift challenge where competitors were required to lift a softball off of a traffic cone, drive backwards through an obstacle course, and place the ball back onto the cone; and a tractor-trailer competition where team members backed a 25-foot trailer through a serpentine course and parked next to a simulated loading dock. In both competitions, drivers only had their partners to rely on to guide them through the obstacle course while trying to avoid safety violations and time penalties.

The forklift and tractor-trailer are used alot, explained Tech. Sgt. Chad Wallace, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations control center supervisor. Vehicle ops is responsible for moving majority of the cargo on and off base in a wartime environment. This event is another way to help build those skills and stay proficient while at home station, continued Wallace.

"Earlier in our careers we had something called transportation week when we were still the Transportation Squadron," Wallace said. "Back then we would do it once a year. Now we want to bring it back because it helps the workers who deal with the vehicles on a day-to-day basis bring their skills together and find out who's the best."

"One time we had to pick up a bus and move it across the yard; it was all timed," reminisced Tech. Sgt. Michael Hollins, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations training validation NCOIC. "It was nerve-wracking because I didn't want to fail."

The rodeo is important not only for morale, but the more proficient the operators are minor incidents and accidents become less likely, added Hollins.

The younger Airmen are trained to maneuver in tight spaces and work a forklift correctly, said Senior Airman Stewart Crotts, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator, all while paying attention to the details around them and learning how to follow directions.

"Most of the Airmen in the driver pool are E-5s and below, so we're the ones going out on the missions," Crotts explained.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Roberts, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCOIC of wing validations, who has been deployed eight times, said he has utilized these skills many times down range.

Being comfortable navigating tight spaces, and uploading and downloading cargo is important, especially when safety is concerned, he added. "We want to be professionals when we are out on a mission, and we want to be safe at all times. The rodeo is just a tool to help us with those skills."

They plan on having the vehicle rodeo as a quarterly competition with different challenges each time, said Wallace.

Eventually they would like to open up this competition to other squadrons on base that use these types of vehicles for an annual challenge, Wallace explained.

The next rodeo is scheduled for October.