ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Air Force Office of Scientific Research here provided staff, information, and an exhibit for hundreds of participants and visitors at the 4 th Annual Team America Rocketry Challenge national finals Saturday at The Plains, Va.

Team America, held at the 250-acre Great Meadow Outdoor Center, is a model rocket competition for high school and middle school students nationwide. According to event organizers, it's the world's largest model rocket competition. The goal of the challenge is for students to design and build a model rocket to carry one hen egg to exactly 800 feet. The egg must stay aloft for exactly 45 seconds and safely return to Earth uncracked. A grand prize of more than $60,000 in cash and savings bonds is shared by the top 10 winning teams.

AFOSR participated in the event at the invitation of Director, Defense Research and Engineering officials. DDR&E helped sponsor the event on behalf of the Department of Defense.

"With so many aspiring scientists and science enthusiasts in attendance, team rocketry challenge is an excellent way to promote AFOSR as a great place to work and as a solid partner in the world of science, advancing basic research for the benefit of the warfighter and the nation," said AFOSR Deputy Director, Col. (Dr.) Jeffrey S. Turcotte.

This was AFOSR's first year participating in the event. Some 678 teams participated in the challenge representing schools and home-school programs. Non-profit youth organizations such at the Scouts, 4-H, Civil Air Patrol, and Young Astronauts also participated. The top 100 teams competed in the finals on Saturday.

This year's first-place winner, with a fly time of 43.21 seconds and an altitude of 800 feet, is a team from Statesville Christian School, Statesville, N.C. The second-place winner, with a fly time of 44.07 seconds and an altitude of 799 feet, is a team from Notre Dame Academy, Toledo, Ohio. The third-place team from West Point/Beemer Junior-Senior High School in West Point, Neb., had a fly time of 44.09 seconds and reached an altitude of 802 feet.

The event is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. It is co-sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Defense Department, Civil Air Patrol, and 39 AIA member companies. Originally designed as a one-time event in celebration of the 100 th anniversary of flight, AIA has held the annual event since 2003 largely because of the urging of hundreds of students, teachers, and parents.

The AFOSR booth attracted a variety of visitors. Two influential visitors included Chief Scientist of the Air Force, Dr. Mark J. Lewis, and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition & Technology), James I. Finley. Additionally AFOSR booth representatives answered many questions about AFOSR programs, scholarships, and internships.

AFOSR continues to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of the Air Force's basic research program. As a vital component of the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFOSR's mission is to support Air Force goals of control and maximum utilization of air and space. Many of the technological breakthroughs enjoyed by millions today, such as lasers, GPS, and the computer mouse trace their scientific roots to research first funded by AFOSR.

AFOSR accomplishes its mission by investing in basic research efforts for the Air Force in relevant scientific areas. Central to AFOSR's strategy is the transfer of the fruits of basic research to industry, the supplier of Air Force acquisitions; to the academic community which can lead the way to still more accomplishment; and to the other directorates of AFRL that carry the responsibility for applied and development research leading to acquisition