News>Wrench-turners battle for top spot in Rodeo 2011 maintenance competition
Photos
First Sergeant Pauwels Maarten replaces an assembly valve on a simulated C-130 Hercules during the maintenance skill competition July 25, 2011, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The event is mandatory a competition for the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011. Maarten is a member of the Belgian air force maintenance team. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Michael Battles)
Belgian air force members cheer on their teammates competing in the maintenance skill competition July 25, 2011, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., during the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011. The event tests participants on normal maintenance tasks that they perform at the home stations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Michael Battles)
An Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 participant from the 19th Airlift Wing replaces a generator starter during the maintenance skill competition July 25, 2011, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Michael Battles)
by Airman 1st Class Michael Battles
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
7/26/2011 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Crowds cheered as the competitors of the maintenance skill competition entered the hangar here July 25 during the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011.
The event, which is new to Rodeo, tests a four-person team on normal daily maintenance activities that would be performed during a shift at home stations.
For the competition, participants are given 30 minutes to complete eight tasks that need to be executed with proficiency and under Air Force guidelines, such as inspections, vehicle movement and aircraft maintenance to receive optimum points.
"Since this was a new event, we had no idea what to expect," said Master Sgt. Lottie Walker, the 19th Airlift Wing maintenance team lead from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. "This competition shows our day-to-day operations and our Airmen really got to show off their skills."
One of the main areas of competition requires a member of each team to repair the valve assembly on an aircraft, which was simulated on a maintenance lift. Members also were tasked with removing and replacing the starter on a generator.
While participants completed the tasks assigned to them, Rodeo umpires verified that no competitor incurred any safety violations, deviated from the technical data or completed a task in an unsatisfactory way. Each of the violations would add a penalty to the overall score of the team for the competition.
"We really had to think in a different way to complete the tasks assigned to us because we were kept in the dark until the second the competition started," said Tech Sgt. Edward Simmons, a 130th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules crew chief. "It was a challenge, but it gave us a chance to prove our knowledge and maintenance training."
Each base and international partner competing in the Air Mobility Rodeo must compete in the maintenance skill competition or forfeit an automatic 700 points from its overall score, officials said.
Comments
8/10/2011 2:18:23 PM ET For the comment below me. Sounds like your a pretty sore loser. If you had done your homework you would know that the team that won finished the event in 22 min with all 4 bonus points and only 2 minor write-ups so do your homework next time before you start complaining
Ovr MSC Winner, LRAFB
7/31/2011 1:01:08 AM ET The maintenance skills competition is a joke. The team that won this year didn't even finish all the events. I mean seriously.
Dishonest Umpire, No Integrity WA
7/27/2011 4:58:33 PM ET This and when QA are around is the only time every single step of the TO will be followed. In the real world there is not enough time to do things according to the book. Want a real maintenance competition? Go downrange and see what they're doing to keep planes going with near record MC and sortie rates.
Same, Here
7/26/2011 3:08:14 PM ET Is there any reason this couldn't take place at a JRTC or Eagle Flag where we already have this going on and have bare base living accomadations and stages for all the crews? This would cut down on costs. In addition there would be less of a party atmosphere and more of a training and learning environment.
Ex-Mobility, MS
7/26/2011 12:40:02 PM ET Is the maintenance skills competition over? If not, isn't the information in this story and your captions giving teams that haven't competed an unfair advantage?
