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Twenty-one teams of elite emergency medical technicians from 22 installations across the Air Force convened at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., for two days of innovative, high-octane competition during the 2015 Annual EMT Rodeo Sept. 17 and 18.
During this, the rodeo’s eighth consecutive year, testers required all contenders to execute their lifesaving mission under greater pressure, stricter guidelines and more austere conditions than ever before. Featuring 19 categories of competition, each team demonstrated accurate techniques and effective implementation, all under the critical eye of expert evaluators.
One of the most unique of these competitions was the Commando Challenge; a vigorous, interactive, scenario-based obstacle course during which competitors had to put multiple skills to the test.
“The Commando Challenge was phenomenal,” said Senior Airman Kayle Carr, 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. “Not only is it great for camaraderie, but it was an opportunity for us to increase our skills as well.”
In order to accommodate more than double the amount of competitors this year, developers split the rodeo into two alternating days with simultaneously occurring events taking place at both Melrose Air Force Range and the Cannon clinic.
For past rodeos, each installation was required to provide funding in order to send their representative team to compete. However, this year offered a very special opportunity for bases previously unable to compete due to funding restrictions.
“This year marks the very first time since the creation of the rodeo that we received full funding from the Air Force Medical Operations Agency,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Rohan, 27th Special Operations Medical Group independent duty medical technician.
After two intense days running through the scenarios, team Joint Base San Antonio- Ft. Sam Houston, Texas captured first place. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska came in second, and third place honors went to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Team Nellis Air Force Base from Nevada won the Commando Challenge with a perfect score and blazing time of 8 minutes, 57 seconds.
“I have had a blast throughout this competition,” said Staff Sgt. Brock Ashbaugh, 1st Medical Group, Hurlburt Field, Florida. “This is the absolute best training that I have received since becoming a medic in the Air Force, and I believe it was in great part [due] to Team Cannon for putting this together, and because of the unique range capabilities offered by Melrose which made the training that much more realistic.”
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2015 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 177004 |
| Location: | CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cannon AFB hosts 2015 EMT Rodeo, by MSgt Matthew Plew, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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