NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.  –   Cannon blasts echoed across the desert and a helicopter hovered overhead as the cries of casualties cut through the air. This scenario was no ordinary training day; it was the inaugural Medic Rodeo at Nellis Air Force Base, a grueling race against the clock that would test the skills of the installation's medics.

While a first for Nellis, the Medic Rodeo draws on a long-standing Air Force tradition, using realistic, high-stress combat scenarios to test battlefield medical skills in a competitive setting.

SSgt Abey Lewis and TSgt Daniel Schmidt spearheaded the effort to bring the event to Nellis, drawing on their own experiences competing at Cannon AFB’s medic rodeo.

“We want to prepare our medics before they are thrown into the fire,” said Lewis. “We want to be the best fighting air force and also be able to bring our people home when they need to come home.”

The competition featured four teams of five, each composed of two clinical medics, two non-clinical medics, and a dedicated coach.

“The teams are made up of people that normally don’t work together directly,” explained Schmidt. “In these scenarios we get them working shoulder-to-shoulder. Everyone has something to bring to the table.”

The teams navigated the medical response following a simulated drone strike, progressing through three distinct phases: care under fire, tactical field care, and tactical evacuation care. Adding a powerful layer of realism to the exercise, real patient volunteers acted as casualties during the four-hour scenario. Teams met the challenges of treating battlefield injuries including inhalation burns, broken pelvises, lacerations, symptoms of shock and hemorrhagic shock, necessitating expert blood product resuscitation. Striving for the highest level of realism, the event was a base-wide effort, using assets from across the installation.

“The Fire Squadron provided access to the burn pit training area, Security Forces provided training weapons, and EOD simulated cannon blasts,” said Lewis. “We wanted to promote as much realism as possible.”

Medic Rodeo events use Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines to challenge technical skills, leadership, and teamwork, preparing medics for austere environments. Lewis, a certified TCCC Instructor, emphasized the importance of TCCC principles.

“TCCC has a special place in my heart,” said Lewis. “It’s all about trauma medicine. Our stateside job is clinical and keeping warfighters ready, but when downrange the focus is trauma medicine.”

For medic rodeo competitor Col Cody Hess, Administrator, Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center, the event reflected a broader commitment to readiness.

“This was an incredibly value-added experience,” said Hess. “The urgency our team felt in that simulated environment is the same urgency we need to bring every day and continue to train with purpose. This drives muscle memory, strengthens teamwork, and develops the confidence to act decisively in a crisis.”

Emerging victorious in Nellis’ first medic rodeo, TSgt Brianna Gonzalez, SrA Christian Macgregor, SSgt Danielle Dan, SrA Jonathan Fuentes, and A1C Rafael Diaz will be recommended to represent Air Combat Command and compete in the 2026 Medic Rodeo.