Dover gets ready to ace upcoming ORI

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Melissa Phillips
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Base officials are gearing up personnel to successfully pass the Operational Readiness Inspection scheduled for Oct. 13 - 20.

ORIs are conducted to evaluate and measure the ability of a unit to perform in wartime, during a contingency or a force sustainment mission, according to Air Force Instruction 90-201, Inspector General Activities.

ORIs essentially test what personnel do every day with a twist. Personnel must also operate in a chemical environment under attack from the enemy.

"Typically, we are able to survive well," said Maj. Bob Shelton, Plans and Programs deputy chief, who provides council to Team Dover on how to ace the ORI exam.

"We already know our jobs and what to do," Major Shelton said. "What we need is practical experience on how to operate in a chemical environment, so we can continue to do our jobs in a crisis situation."

The base, to include the 512th AW, will meet up with the 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla., and the 615th Contingency Response Wing, Travis AFB, Calif., at an undisclosed forward deployed location.

Each wing is responsible for training personnel on every aspect of forward deploying to include, processing cargo and personnel, securing transport to the location, operating in a chemical environment, surviving enemy attack, and ultimately, getting the aircraft off the ground at the deployed location to complete the mission.

"It's the Plans and Programs office's job to get everyone on the same page and practice now, so we can show the inspectors what we already know - Dover Air Force Base is the best at what we do," Major Shelton said.

The Plans and Programs office has put together an aggressive exercise program to test personnel and provide base members opportunities to practice in a low-stress environment here at Dover.

However, Major Shelton is quick to point out a key component for a successful ORI is something their office can't issue to base personnel. It must come from within.

"Attitude is everything during an ORI," said Major Shelton. "If you've got a smile on your face and you are trying your hardest, you'll normally get the benefit of the doubt from inspectors."

Earlier in the month, base leadership met with each unit's exercise evaluation team to get them prepared for the task at hand. EET members are chosen by their unit commanders to inspect and lead unit personnel prior to the actual ORI. During the upcoming EORI, EET members will act in the place of the Head Quarters inspection team to test Team Dover's capabilities.

"We know you can launch the jet, but can you launch the jet in a chemical environment?" said Mike Bouchard, Wing Plans and Programs Office EET evaluation chief. "Knowing your Mission Essential Tasks will assist you in accomplishing the task."

EET members are a resource for base members to ask questions. After an evaluation, if you are not sure that what you are doing is correct seek out your unit's EET rep and ask them.

Senior leaders can't stress enough to take advantage of the eight months in between the ORI to ask questions and get prepared.

There are approximately 800 pages of Mission Essential Tasks to review and units need to train to those standards. METS are essentially checklist items that list what's expected of a unit down to every minute detail.

Along with base METS applicable to all AFSCs, each unit has career-field specific METS as well.

One man here is the lead for the tremendous undertaking and will lead Team Dover through the coming months to stay on target for the ORI.

"The ORI is an opportunity to show the Air Mobility Command evaluators that Dover's Airmen are the best at what they do," said Col. Merril Alligood, 436th Operations Group commander and ORI commander for Dover AFB.

Colonel Alligood is responsible for training, preparing and deploying more than 600 members of the 436th and 512th AW to an undisclosed forward operating location in October.

"I'm really excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this event," he said. "I need each Airman to set the tone in their organizations. A positive attitude is contagious."
Major commands throughout the Air Force inspect wings under their control at least every five years, if not more often. The last time Dover Air Force Base underwent an ORI was April 2004.