Thanks for successful ORI send off

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Harrison
  • 436th Airlift Wing commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The long months of preparation culminated with the start of the Operational Readiness Inspection this past Saturday as Team Dover geared up for war! We deployed more than 700 Airmen from the 436th and 512th Airlift Wings to Alpena, Mich., to demonstrate that our ability to deliver combat capable Airmen to a major regional war is unsurpassed. And, those who weren't deploying worked relentlessly over the weekend to ensure our fellow Airmen deployed safely and on time ... what a great success! Together, we generated personnel, nearly 500 short tons of cargo and every Dover possessed C-5B on the ramp - and then launched the entire package to Alpena as the 805th Air Expeditionary Wing under the command of Col. Eric Wydra - well below the Inspector General's required timeline. Great work!

But we're not finished yet. As this moment, Team Dover members in the 805th AEW are heavily engaged in the fight. They are launching and flying aircraft in a chemical environment, responding to insurgent attacks and defending the air base. When they succeed ... and they will ... we'll bring them home using the same high standards and safe mission accomplishment we used to deploy them. The members of the 805th AEW have been showing the Air Mobility Command Inspector General team the full-spectrum excellence that is the hallmark of Team Dover and they deserve a perfect conclusion to their efforts.

All told, this is a tremendous challenge for the wing during a time in which we are engaged in real-world operations. I couldn't be prouder of the way our entire team has stepped up to the challenge, and I'm looking forward to the results when the Inspector General provides the formal outbrief Aug. 14.

Whether deployed in support of the Global War on Terror or preparing for potential future operations, ultimately the work we all do is about saving lives and delivering freedom. One of our most cherished and hard-won freedoms is the liberty to choose our elected officials and to hold our government at all levels responsible to the people. Voting is a right we fight to defend and every one of us should take advantage of that right ... and ensure our vote is relevant by becoming informed on the issues that matter. But time is growing short to request an absentee ballot if you are not a Delaware native or won't be in your registered state during the November election. If you are deploying or PCSing to an overseas location register and request your ballot now, so it will arrive before you leave Dover. Contact your squadron or group voting assistance advisor for more information.

Fighting the war, preparing for the next conflict, and exercising the freedoms we treasure ... three more reasons that Team Dover is "America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Team!"