SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- As the dust began to settle over the small western town also known as Pope AFB during Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2000, the 6th Air Refueling Wing from MacDill AFB, Fla., celebrated their victory of being named Best Air Mobility Wing.

Rodeo 2000 saw more than 3,000 participants representing 34 active duty wings, 18 Reserve wings, 10 Air National Guard bases and eight foreign countries competing in the international airlift and tanker competition.

Rodeo showcases airdrop, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and related ground operations. It also provides an opportunity for the world's best mobility forces to demonstrate their capabilities and enhance global operations.

The biennial week-long competition began Sunday when the teams arrived here one-by-one

"Throughout the week you saw skill and professionalism," said Gen. Charles T. "Tony" Robertson Jr., AMC commander. "That's what Rodeo is all about. Men and women from around the world doing their best, learning from one another, having fun and doing it safely.

"Your teammates back home should be proud because you gave it your best," he told a crowd of more than 3,000 during closing ceremonies.

Although each team performed well, not everyone could walk away with a trophy.

"My team knew we weren't going to win, but my guys never stopped believing that they were the best - they had the biggest hearts out there," said Tech. Sgt. Lee Ray, 62nd Security Forces Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.

Of course there were a lot of competitors leaving Rodeo with gold around their necks and trophies for their cases.

"Our team put a lot of sweat into this competition," said Maj. Ian Biggins, team commander for the 145th Airlift Wing Rodeo team from Charlotte, N.C., and winner of the Best Aeromedical Evacuation Team award. "It's a great honor to win, but it's no surprise - we worked hard."

Trophy or not, the teams who competed in this year's Rodeo have probably become better at what they do because of the event.

"Now that your skills are honed, I want you to go back to your units and continue to give a Rodeo-level performance," said Robertson to the competitors. "Keep learning, keep teaching and keep getting better at what you do."

But before they do that, some teams plan to savor the flavor of victory for a moment.

As Maj. Paul Gloyd, team commander for the 97th Air Mobility Wing from Altus AFB, Okla., said as he carried 11 trophies back to his base, "There's nothing like it in the world."

Other teams talked strategy for their next encounter at McChord AFB, Wash., in 2002.

Rodeo 2000 winners are:

Best of the Best
Air Mobility Wing - 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
Airdrop Wing - 43rd Airlift Wing, Pope AFB, N.C.
Tanker Wing - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
Airland Wing - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
Aerial Refueling Team - 157th Air Refueling Wing, Pease ANGB, N.H., and 437th Airlift Wing (C-141), Charleston AFB, S.C.
International Team - Belgium
KC-135 Wing - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
KC-10 Wing - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
C-17 Wing - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
C-141 Wing - 446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
C-130/C-160 Wing - 43rd Airlift Wing, Pope AFB, N.C.
C-5 Wing - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
Special Tactics Team - 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
Aerial Port Team - 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
Security Forces Team - 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
Aeromedical Evacuation Team - 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, N.C.
C-5 Aircrew - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
C-130/C-160 Aircrew - Belgium
C-141 Aircrew - 514th Airlift Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
C-17 Aircrew - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
KC-10 Aircrew - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
KC-135 Aircrew - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
C-5 Maintenance Team - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
C-130/C-160 Maintenance Team - France
C-141 Maintenance Team - 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March AFB, Calif.
C-17 Maintenance Team - 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
KC-10 Maintenance Team - 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
KC-135 Maintenance Team - 19th Air Refueling Group, Robins ARB, Ga.
C-141 Aeromedical Evacuation Team - 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
C-130 Aeromedical Evacuation Team - 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, N.C.
C-9 Aeromedical Team - 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan

Aerial
C-5 Air Refueling Crew - 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
C-130/C-160 Airdrop Crew - 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
C-130/C-160 Shortfield Landing Crew - Turkey
C-141 Airdrop Crew - 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
C-141 Air Refueling Crew - 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
C-17 Airdrop Crew - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
C-17 Air Refueling Crew - 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
C-17 Shortfield Landing Crew - 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
KC-10 Air Refueling Crew - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
KC-135 Air Refueling Crew - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.

Special Tactics
Parachute Employment - 320th Special Tactics Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
Biathlon - 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
Combat Obstacle Course - 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
STS Rucksack Run - 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.

Aerial Port
Joint Inspection - 446th Airlift Wing (A), McChord AFB, Wash.
10K Forklift Operators - 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
C-5 ERO - 97th Air Mobility Wing (A), Altus AFB, Okla.
C-130 ERO - 130th Airlift Wing, Charleston, West Va.
C-141 ERO - 437th Airlift Wing (B), Charleston AFB, S.C.
C-17 ERO - 437th Airlift Wing (A), Charleston AFB, S.C.
Enroute ERO - 615th Air Mobility Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
Intransit Visibility - 437th Airlift Wing (A), Charleston AFB, S.C.
Aerial Port Endurance Course - 97th Air Mobility Wing (A) Altus, AFB, Okla.
Joint Airdrop Inspection - 43rd Airlift Wing, Pope AFB, N.C.
KC-10 Cargo Loading Crew - 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
KC-135 Cargo Loading Crew - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.

Aeromedical Evacuation
C-141 Configuration/Enplaning - 445th Airlift Wing, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
C-130 Configuration/Enplaning - Canada
C-9 Configuration/Enplaning - 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
Equipment Preflight - 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Va.
Medical Emergency - 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
AE Endurance Course - 446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.

Maintenance
C-5 Preflight Team - 439th Airlift Wing, Westover, Mass.
C-5 Postflight Team - 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
C-130/C-160 Preflight Team - 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Va.
C-130/C-160 Postflight Team - 3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
C-141 Preflight Team - 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
C-141 Postflight Team - 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, Calif.
C-17 Preflight Team - 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
C-17 Postflight Team - 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
KC-10 Preflight Team - 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
KC-10 Postflight Team - 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
KC-135 Preflight Team - 19th Air Refueling Group, Robins ARB, Ga.
KC-135 Postflight Team - 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kan.

Security Forces
Combat Tactics - 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Va.
Combat Rifle - 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
Combat Handgun - 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
Endurance Course - Canada

(FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)