FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The U.S. Army drove away with ultimate bragging rights at Fort Leonard Wood’s 12th Joint Service Truck Rodeo, outmaneuvering the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to claim the top spot July 30, 2026, at Fort Leonard Wood Training Area 228.
The winning team is made up of four Motor Transport Operator Course instructors with the 58th Transportation Battalion — Staff Sgts.Steven Jones, Esai Estrada, Jeff Nicoll and Julio Castillo Mijares.
According to event organizer, Staff Sgt. Macaela Perry, a MTOC instructor with the 58th Transportation Battalion, the joint service truck rodeo is designed to build morale and foster cohesion among transport specialists across the different military branches training at Fort Leonard Wood.
She said the competition featured four signature events, each highlighting a high-stakes driving challenge faced by today’s motor transportation specialists. Competitors tested their precision and spatial awareness in the reverse serpentine tractor-trailer run, the parallel parking challenge, the complex question mark shape alley-backing course, and the high-difficulty 90-degree alley dock maneuver.
“The Joint Truck Rodeo is a great way to build teamwork, sharpen driving skills and recognize the professionalism of military vehicle operators. After all, nothing happens, until something moves,” Perry said.
Leading the charge for the Army team was Jones, who dominated the driving course to claim top-competitor honors in three out of the four individual events, including the reverse serpentine, parallel parking and the 90-degree alley dock challenges. Marine Staff Sgt. Curtis Patton, an instructor with the Fort Leonard Wood Marine Corps Detachment’s Vehicle Recovery Course, received the highest score for the question mark alley-backing event.
“It feels good. It’s nice to bring home the trophy for the Army,” Jones said.
According the GoArmy.com, [motor transport operators](https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/support-logistics/transportation-inventory/88m-motor-transport-operator), also known as the military occupation specialty 88M, play an important part of the Army’s transportation logistics team. 88Ms supervise and operate wheeled vehicles over all types of terrain to safely transport cargo, troops and provide advanced mobility on all missions. They also manage loading, unloading and report any vehicle problems or damage.
To view more photos from the competition, visit [this Fort Leonard Wood photo album](https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD1fnH).