GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- When we hear the word "rodeo," many of us think of cowboys, broncs and bull riding. But Air Mobility Command has a different take on the word "rodeo."

This Rodeo isn't about horses and bull riding, it's about readiness, it's about air refueling, air drop, air land, security forces, aerial port operations, aero-medical evacuation, maintenance and international competition. At a minimum, the "stock" for this Rodeo includes KC-135s (both AMC and international), KC-10s, C-130s, C-5s and C-17s.

In 1962, the former Military Airlift Command held a competition where bombers and tankers competed in combat skills to enhance their techniques and procedures. This was the basis for today's Rodeo. In 1979, the competition expanded to include international air mobility partners and was held every two years, until recently. This year, like the 2005 AMC Rodeo, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., will host the competition scheduled for July 21-27.

The Grand Forks AFB Rodeo team is a combination of pilots, boom operators, maintainers and security forces. Each of the Warriors will go through rigorous training for the next two months until they leave for the competition.

During the weeklong competition, the team will all compete for various awards and trophies. At the end of, all the scores will be combined for an air refueling and airlift team winner and an overall competition winner.

"Learning how to do our job better is always a part of the Rodeo experience and should be a base-line goal for Rodeo participants," said Maj. Kristopher Norwood. "Above and beyond that, we'd like to show the rest of the mobility Air Force world that the Warriors of the North are the best of the best and the ones to call on when the mission has to get done right, the first time, without question."

The aircrew will be judged on two sorties, to include landings and air refueling. Timing is everything when trying to rendezvous with another aircraft while airborne, thus, the pilots and boom operators must be right on cue (to the very second) because they will have to make a perfect connection to refuel a specific aircraft. On the ground they will be judged on everything from cargo loading, checklist discipline and even on-time departures. If they are early or late, can't complete their mission or miss steps that could cause mission degradation, points are lost. If too many points are lost, it could make or break the competition.

"Rodeo is a great opportunity for AMC wings to showcase their many talents in a fun, yet competitive environment and, at the same time, build camaraderie throughout the MAF," Major Norwood pointed out.

Only one jet is assigned for the competition and only the Rodeo team will be allowed to touch the jet during the competition. The flight crew and maintainers will get to know the aircraft's every quirk. The maintainers will be judged on how quickly and accurately they can ready a jet in accordance with technical orders. They are held responsible for every document and piece of equipment associated with the jet, no matter how big or small.

Finally, the security forces team will have to prove their combat expertise in several competitions. They will not only have to demonstrate their marksmanship but also run a demanding obstacle course.

"At Rodeo, there are several trophies awarded which exemplify this behavior," said Major Norwood. "I believe we'll be able to walk away with one or more of these trophies in hand."

Rodeo is not just about doing your job; it's about doing your job to perfection.

"In a nutshell - and trying not to sound cliché - Rodeo really is the Top Gun of the AMC world," the major proclaimed.