Hickam security forces gear up for AMC Rodeo

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carolyn (Viss) Herrick
  • Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Four members of the 647th Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, are honing their skills for the upcoming 2011 Air Mobility Command Rodeo, a biennial, international airlift competition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Tech. Sgt. Michael Skonetski, Tech. Sgt. Pablo Gonzalez, Senior Airman Christopher Menefee and Senior Airman Jeffrey Kristek will attend the Rodeo July 24 to 29 and represent their squadron by competing in four events: combat tactics, combat endurance, combat weapons and the advanced designated marksman/sharpshooter event.

"The security forces competition event measures combat skills which security forces have acquired though formal schools, day-to-day duties, and unit training in direct support of Defense Department missions," said Maj. Anthony Gurrieri, this year's Team Hickam Rodeo team chief.

"I've never done the rodeo before, but I'm pretty excited about the opportunity," said Sergeant Skonetski, the security forces team leader.

The combat tactics event they're training for is a big role-player event, he said. It tests the tactical ability of a four-person security team.

"We'll be encountering role players throughout a scenario and interacting with host nation forces," Sergeant Skonetski said. "We will be graded on team movement, reacting to fire, and creating operational order for mission."

The combat endurance event requires completing a timed, 2.5-kilometer obstacle course, during which they have to practice field craft scenarios for added difficulty -- like adding self-aid and buddy care scenarios and having to carry a life-sized dummy on a litter.

The combat weapons portion of the competition will require them to engage multiple targets at various distances with the M9 and the M4.

"We know we will have to complete obstacle courses and shoot, but we don't know exactly what to expect -- what obstacles, or what the course of fire will be -- so we're preparing for a whole bunch of different scenarios," said Airman Kristek, a security forces armorer. "We're doing a wide range of training exercises, including (physical training), to prepare for whatever they throw at us."

What "Sergeant Ski" says he most looks forward to is the advanced designated marksman  event, where he and Airman Menefee will work in a two-man team using the M24.

"The big thing for this is, both of us are going to be shooting," he said. "Snipers always work in teams. We both have to be absolutely perfect, because it's just the two of you: a shooter and a spotter."

The spotter is integral to ensuring the shooter is putting the bullet on target. He has to be able to read temperature, elevation, wind speed and direction, and humidity so that the shooter can dial in the numbers on the scope and make adjustments on the fly, according to "Sergeant Ski."

"There are actually mathematical formulas you have to use," he said. "It's challenging, but rewarding."

He and Airman Menefee went through the ADM school together at Ft. Bliss, Texas, deployed together to Iraq, and are now teammates for Rodeo. Knowing each other so well will be a big boon to their competitive skills, he said.

"We're all going to see who the best of the best is, but ultimately it's about learning, communicating with other people, and very, very good practice," he said. "That way, when we do deploy, we can better use these skills in real-world scenarios. Competing, learning from each other, and honing our craft is very exciting."

They, like the rest of the Hickam Rodeo team, expect show the rest of Air Force, including international forces what they have to offer.

"We are working together as a team across the board; we've joined the 15th Wing with the 647th Air Base Group and Security Forces Squadron, the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, and our Guard brethren from the 154th Wing," Major Gurrieri said. "This is truly a team Hickam event, and we are touching all aspects of the joint base environment."