In early October, while Mizzou Football fans analyzed NCAA playoff predictions, Air Force ROTC Detachment 440 claimed a decisive bowl victory at the 2024 Honey Bowl. 

Competing against four teams from Missouri and Iowa, the University of Missouri’s detachment of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps finished first overall at this year’s Honey Bowl. The event took its name from the Honey War of 1839 — a bloodless border dispute between Missouri and Iowa — and included competitions in 5K ruck, tug of war, ultimate frisbee, cornhole, and Icarus (a game simulating an air campaign).

The weekend's standout moments came during the 5K ruck when Cadet Wes Carpio and Cadet Ellie Soto secured first-place finishes. Cadet Nic Swoboda and Major Ben Brabec earned top honors in the cornhole competition, with the team placing third in both ultimate frisbee and tug of war. 

“Our mission is to create leaders of character who will fight and win our nation's wars, so it is essential that our cadets have this warrior ethos identity,” says USAF Major Ben Brabec, a professor of aerospace studies at Mizzou, “and we believe that competing in these events helps reinforce this.”

The interstate competition returns south of the border in 2025 when the Fighting Tigers host the “Show Me Cup” at MU.