Logistics Readiness Squadron Rodeo enhances mission readiness Published July 24, 2024 By Jacob Silva-Dreyer SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Mission readiness is a crucial aspect of an Airman’s skillset. The 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron organized a rodeo for their Airmen to practice and compete in practical skills outside their usual wheelhouse. The LRS Rodeo, run by Staff Sgt. Elijah Lewis and Senior Airman Jeremiah Baudier from the 375th LRS Quality Assurance office, is an event that started in April and had its second iteration earlier this July. The rodeo involves five teams of Airmen from different shops in LRS competing in various tasks as fast as possible for the chance to win a day off. Airmen from the 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron drag a hose at the LRS Rodeo on Scott Air Force Base, July 12, 2024. At the rodeo, Airmen practiced various skills in a competitive environment to enhance their mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jacob Silva-Dreyer) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “We don’t do everyone else's jobs on a daily basis, but at some deployed locations we may be required to,” said Lewis. “The purpose of the Rodeo was to get a feel for what other people do on a daily basis, so if we’re ever in that situation, we can have a better idea of what to do.” The tasks for this rodeo included changing a truck’s tire, dragging and rerolling a refueling hose, loading a pallet and delivering cargo via a forklift between cones, all while sprinting between stations and competing for the fastest time. With two rodeos under their belt, specific aspects of these events are still being considered and changed to keep it evolving, with each rodeo being more effective than the one before. For example, while teams have been made up of five Airmen from different shops, future rodeos may pit shops against each other. Another planned change is to have squadrons outside LRS participate. Airmen from the 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron load a pallet at the LRS Rodeo on Scott Air Force Base, July 12, 2024. At the rodeo, Airmen practiced various skills in a competitive environment to enhance their mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jacob Silva-Dreyer) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Two squadrons that may join the LRS rodeo include fellow Mission Support Group members, Security Forces and Civil Engineering–the latter having several areas of cross-over with LRS functions and the former being one that introduces another level of competition to it. While changes to how the teams are arranged are being considered, members have found great value in how the rodeo brings Airmen from different shops together, allowing them to use cross-functional experiences to grow one another. “It brings shops together. You work with people you don’t normally work with,” said Baudier. With agile combat employment requiring Airmen to be trained in numerous tasks, variety is a key purpose of the rodeo. This helps Team Scott’s Airmen cover for the numerous missions that need support, now and in the future. U.S. Air Force A1C James Walsh, Logistics Readiness Squadron Ground Transportation, drives a forklift between cones at the LRS Rodeo on Scott Air Force Base, July 12, 2024. At the rodeo, Airmen practiced various skills in a competitive environment to enhance their mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jacob Silva-Dreyer) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “If you have last minute deployments, and you're going to an air base, we're not going to have all those functions available or all the manpower,” Baudier said. “If vehicle maintenance needs help, we can go out there and help them…and while we wouldn't be the ones who are refueling an aircraft, we could be the ones who help them pull the hose out along with other supporting tasks.” Through the rodeo, LRS Airmen are able to practice essential skills that enable them to enhance their mission readiness.