Here's your not-new-but-really-kinda-new best C-17 unit: The 62nd Airlift Wing from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Leah Young)
So… how much does it cost to FedEx a trophy from Oklahoma to Arkansas?
Air Mobility Command admitted this week it bungled the calculation of scoring at this summer’s Air Mobility Rodeo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The command discovered the problem as they prepared to release detailed scoring data to participants.
That altered the score for best air mobility wing, the competition’s top prize. The trophy originally had been awarded to the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., but instead will go to the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
The 97th AMW also will lose its title as best C-17 wing; instead, the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord is the new top unit.
And the 314th AW from Little Rock loses its title of best C-130 airdrop aircrew. The new winner: the 19th Airlift Wing from Little Rock AFB.
AMC officials discovered an error in the C-17 and C-130 Container Delivery System airdrop scores. Here’s the Rodeo commander’s explanation of it:
“There is an automated process in the scoring algorithm which improperly assigned a median score for an event,” Maj. Gen. Frederick Martin said. “This program error was not found in testing. All manual scoring processes were triple checked; however, there was not a final check for one critical portion of the automated scoring process.”
And even in the extremely vetted nature of Air Force internal stories, one commander could barely hide his exuberance at the mistake.
“This is great news!” 62nd AW commander Col. Wyn Elder said. “Our airmen work hard every day to provide the best combat airlift in the world and it’s an honor for them to be recognized at the premier mobility competition in the world for their outstanding work. The fact that the combined 62AW/627ABG team was able to win Best C-17 Wing at a joint base is a testament to the teamwork our airmen demonstrate every single day throughout the world. “
