Rodeo's cops train for trophy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amanda Callahan
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Although a lot of the Air Mobility Rodeo competition focuses on the aircrews and maintainers participating, there is one portion of the competition that most of those folks haven't been trained to perform.

A three-member security forces team is also competing for a Rodeo trophy.

"I feel camaraderie from being part of the Grand Forks AFB Rodeo team," said Staff Sgt. Jarod Cappon, 319th Security Forces Squadron, and team leader for the SFS team.

"I feel honored to be able to represent my squadron, as well as the wing, at the Rodeo," said Airman 1st Class Kevin Boyle, 319 SFS team member. "This will be a great experience and I'm really looking forward to it."

The team leader has more than enough expertise in Rodeo competitions.

"I have participated in three of these competitions, but this is the first one that I have been the team leader for," Sergeant Cappon said. "I was really excited to participate this year."

After the squadron chose its team leader, the task of choosing the other two members (who had to be E-5 or below) began.

"We sent out an e-mail to the squadron, and a lot of people were interested," Sergeant Cappon noted. "Through a process of analyzing PT [physical training] test scores and shooting qualification records, we selected Boyle and [Airman 1st Class Darin] Morrison."

"We play off each other's strengths and weaknesses, so we make a great team," Sergeant Cappon commented.

"Each of us has been through a lot of different training, so we each have different ways of doing things," added Airman Boyle.

Security forces has their elite team; now they have to focus on training and fine tuning their skills.

Aside from his Rodeo know-how, Sergeant Cappon, with almost nine years of job experience, has additional certification as a Raven.

"There is a lot of focus on resource protection during the competition," he added. "I'm qualified as a Security Forces Raven, and being a Raven has given me training on how to provide aircraft security in forward-deployed locations and non-secured airfields, which is a huge part of this competition."

Sergeant Cappon is only one of two Raven-qualified personnel assigned to the 319 SFS.

As the 319 SFS training NCO in charge, Sergeant Cappon's job experience has helped him prepare the other two team members.

"As the Rodeo team leader, I have to be fluent in land nav [navigation], line reports, warning and operations orders, etc ...," he stated. "Part of my job as the team leader is to ensure the other members of the team have all the resources available to be prepared for whatever the competition might throw at us."

"I think his experience will help prepare us for many of the challenges ahead," Airman Boyle added. "Sergeant Cappon's knowledge and expertise will prove to be critical during the competition."

A good portion of the security forces competition concentrates on physical endurance, he said. To prepare, the team has a robust physical training schedule.

"We run a 5k Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, and we lift weights after work to prepare," he said. "All three of us are also members of the squadron's intramural softball and soccer teams, so our schedule is pretty rigorous."

The security forces' share of the competition includes combat tactics, combat challenge course and combat weapons.

The combat tactics course is designed to test the ability of a three-person security team to protect humanitarian aide workers in a high-threat location, according to Sergeant Cappon.

"Our team will be required to interact with host nation friendly forces, collect information pertinent to an airfield site survey and defend against an aggressor element," he added.

During the combat challenge course, the team will complete a 2.5k course, which includes four defense skill stations, all while wearing the battle dress uniform and carrying a standard M-4 rifle and load bearing equipment. This has to be completed in less than 30 minutes.

"The most difficult portion has always been the obstacle course, but the combat challenge course took its place this year," Sergeant Cappon said. "We've been doing a lot of PT in uniform with boots and weapons to prepare."

The last of the competitions, combat weapons, has the team participating in a live-fire event by engaging several targets at various distances in a specified time limit.

"They throw all kinds of stuff at you to get you frazzled," he said while grinning. "They just want to see if you can maintain weapons proficiency under stress."

"I am a marksman at the M9 and M4 and, hopefully, this will benefit the team during simulated combat scenarios," Airman Boyle said.

The team's responsibility to the Grand Forks AFB Rodeo team doesn't stop with their competition, though.

"We're in charge of setting up the tent, too," said Sergeant Cappon. "We're going with the Warriors of the North theme, Sven, etc... We're hoping to make the tent look like an igloo, you know, the 'frozen chosen' type thing."

"This competition is a lot of fun," he added. "It's challenging and it takes a lot of preparation, but it's a lot of fun in the end."