Air Force takes on Iowa...with 58 SOW help Published Aug. 26, 2010 By Lt. Col. Jeffery Leischner 550th Special Operations Squadron Kirtland Air Force Base, NM -- From July 25 to July 31, the Air Force Cycling Team took to the roads and highways of Iowa for the 38th Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. RAGBRAI started as an idea between two journalists from the Des Moines Register. In the summer of 1973, feature writer John Karras suggested to his friend, columnist Don Kaul that he ride his bike across Iowa and write his columns about what he saw from that perspective. Kaul liked the idea but only on the agreement that Karras ride with him. The managing editor gave the idea a thumbs-up, and with the inclusion of a few friends -- an open invitation to the newspaper's readers -- RAGBRAI was born. The ride would begin in Sioux City and finish in Davenport. About 300 riders showed up for the start, but only 114 made it the entire way across Iowa. RAGBRAI is now the longest, largest and oldest bicycle touring event in the world. The number of official riders this year was about 17,000. What does all this have to do with the Air Force and a cycling team? This year's event marked the 16th year that an Air Force team has done the ride. Air Force recruiters in Nebraska started it in 1995, with 28 riders. By 1997, the Air Force team had swelled to 100 riders. After that, Air Force Recruiting withdrew from team management. Volunteers now run the team as a tax-exempt organization that has official sanction, but not funding, from the Air Force. Cycling team members must pay for their event registration, administrative costs, team uniforms and round-trip transportation. Members are allowed permissive TDY to attend the event under the We Are All Recruiters program. The purpose of the Air Force cycling team is to represent the U.S. Air Force in a positive manner, promote goodwill and talk to as many people as possible about the Air Force during the ride. As a courtesy, members also provide roadside assistance to other cyclists if necessary. The Air Force cycling team is without a doubt the most respected team on the road in Iowa every year. Many other riders seek out its members to ask questions, ranging from, "Where are you stationed?" to, "What options does my [insert family member here] have if they want to join the Air Force?" This year's Air Force cycling team was composed of 150 riders and 20 support team members from bases worldwide. The 58th Special Operations Wing sent six Airmen to RAGBRAI, including four riders and two support team members. Riding for the team were Lt. Col. Jim Routt, 550th Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland Team Director, Lt. Col. Jeffery Leischner, 550th SOS, Maj. Shayne Halter, 58th Training Squadron, and Maj. Andy Shields, 58th Operations Group. The two support team members were Staff Sgt. Mike Walters, 550th SOS, and Lt. Col. Jeff Freeman, 58th OG, the Air Force cycling team's support director. RAGBRAI takes riders across the fields and farming communities of Iowa, where you see more corn than you ever knew existed and eat more of it, pie, pork chops, and homemade ice cream than you ever thought you could. A common misperception is that Iowa is flat. Some parts are, but most of the terrain is rolling hills. This year's ride had 14,527 feet of overall climb, including one of more than 400 feet up a 19 percent grade coming into final town of Dubuque. There are five to six pass-through towns each day on the way to the overnight town. Each town has a theme and plenty of food and entertainment for the riders. At the overnight towns, you set up camp, shower and then wander into town to load up on carbs and see what entertainment is in store for the night. The most impressive part of RAGBRAI for the Air Force cycling team is the last couple of miles into the final town. The entire team assembles a mile or two outside town and rides in through the streets two-by-two, this year, 75 deep. This final ride into town has become a tradition. Other teams and spectators line the streets to yell "Go Air Force" and other encouraging words. It is a patriotic and heartwarming end to a week's worth of being in the saddle.