FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Airmen from around the world met at Fort Leonard Wood July 23 to 25 to attend an Air Force Ground Transportation summit and competitive rodeo, hosted by the 368th Training Squadron.
About 150 Airmen — from senior career field managers to junior enlisted vehicle operators — came to Fort Leonard Wood from installations as far away as Japan.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Dudley, the GT functional area manager — responsible for the management and planning of GT personnel and equipment — travelled from Washington, D.C., for the event to help inform and discuss the future of the career field.
“Key discussions were focused on manpower challenges, combat readiness, policy and inspection protocols, and fostering innovation efforts. These discussions aimed to fortify the ground transportation sector's preparedness for future conflicts and evolving global threats,” Dudley said.
Having the event hosted by the unit providing GT technical training is special, according to Dudley, because Fort Leonard Wood symbolizes, “the foundation of our profession.”
“It is an ideal venue to bring together career-field leaders and members from all levels of operation. The summit promotes enterprise cohesion and operational synergy, while fostering agency transparency. By gathering at Fort Leonard Wood, we reinforce the unity and shared purpose essential for advancing our ground transportation capabilities,” Dudley said.
On the final day of the summit, 21 teams competed in events, testing their individual ability to operate a forklift, tractor trailer and bus. They were also tested on Air Force instructional knowledge and participated in a team event, where they had to carry water jugs, flip tires and properly secure a tactical vehicle to a trailer.
The winners of the competitive rodeo were from the 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Cook is an operations manager for the 2nd LRC and a member of this year’s winning team.
“It all comes down to my staff sergeants in the training sections helping these guys to successfully operate these vehicles on a daily basis,” Cook said. “The team event was my favorite because it showcased how well we work together.”
He said competition was tough this year with so many well-rounded teams participating.
“We are just thankful we had the opportunity to come to Fort Leonard Wood to showcase the talent Barksdale has. We are proud to take this prize home with us,” Cook said.
To see more photos from the rodeo, visit Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.
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