RAV1

After administering Self Aid and Buddy Care, members of the 345th Airlift Squadron and the 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron transport a “wounded” Airman to a secure area after a simulated chemical attack. During the March unit training assembly, Citizen Airmen of the 403rd Wing participated in a Readiness Assistance Visit to prepare for the wing’s upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

RAV1

Capts. Jeffrey Hicks and Todd Humphries, 815th Airlift Squadron pilots, and Tech. Sgt. Shari Belcher, 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, check M-8 paper at a Liquid Detection Point after a simulated attack to identify possible chemical agents. As member of the Post-Attack Reconnaissance Team, the Citizen Airmen swept the area around the 815th AS building for signs of damage, chemical agents, unexploded ordnance, and casualties. This is part of their training for the 403rd Wing’s upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

Airmen be ready

Published March 13, 2011
By Senior Airman Tabitha Dupas
403rd WG/PA

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- Sirens sound of an attack, martyrs bombard the area, there is mandatory evacuation, but you have a wingman injured on the ground...

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Readiness is one of the 403rd Wing's Wildly Important Goals and for the next year, Airmen will be perfecting their skills in preparation for the Operational Readiness Inspection.

"Airmen are expected to know their jobs, but, learn how to use it in an ATSO (ability to survive and operate) environment," said Lt. Col. Rich Alexandersen, 22nd Air Force operational readiness training chief, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. "The overall goal of the ORI is to evaluate the readiness of the wing to operate in a wartime environment."

Colonel Alexandersen has developed a three part program to prepare units for the ORI: Readiness Assistance Visit 1 and 2 and Operational Readiness Exercise.

"It is broken down into a crawl, walk, run program," said Colonel Alexanderson.

Crawl is Readiness Assistance Visit 1. It is basic instruction given by the 22nd Air Force Cadre.

Walk is RAV 2, a flyaway exercise with other ORI-tasked units. Coaching from the cadrefocuses on the deploy, employ and redeploy processes, as well as ATSO and Command and Control procedures in a wartime environment.

Run is the Operational Readiness Exercise. Basically it is a dress rehearsal to the ORI. The cadre ensures the units are meeting the Inspector General's expectations and coach where necessary.

The work up will better prepare Reservists for the ORI in January 2012.

There is an ORI for the wing approximately every five years, and the last for the 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, was in 2007. Colonel Alexandersen said that for Airmen to keep a continual readiness mindset, each wing will eventually have their own Exercise Evaluation Team to facilitate the readiness exercises all year. This will insure the wing is ready at any given time.

"In preparing for an ORI, there are three key pointers for participating Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Simmons, 403rd Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management technician. "Attitude, sense of urgency and know your job--if you have this, you will pass the ORI."

According to Colonel Alexandersen, the 403rd Wing shouldn't have a problem with attitude. In 2007, the Inspectors General commented on the attitude of the wing being one of the best they had ever seen.

"Airmen should be able to adapt and overcome any obstacle that comes their way," said Colonel Alexandersen. "Every Airman is a sensor. The commander will only see what is reported to him. The Airmen are the eyes for the commander so that he can make good desicions."

When the siren does sound, Airmen should be ready for the worst case scenario, which is what the ORI will likely present.