US Air Force,
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE: Airmen today can face deployment with increased confidence after practicing modified operational readiness inspection scenarios that reflect current wartime conditions.
According to Air Combat Command's Inspector General Col. Tom Jones, with the expeditionary nature of today's Air Force, it is important for Airmen to be prepared to take the fight anywhere.
“Today's ORI in ACC tests our Airmen across a spectrum of combat operations from what might be a routine (Air and Space Expeditionary Force) deployment to a major combat contingency,” Colonel Jones said. “It is important to (the ACC commander) and the American public for us to be able to demonstrate our capabilities.”
ORI scenarios now place greater emphasis on expeditionary operations. Colonel Jones said some modified scenarios have been added to ensure Airmen have the skills they need to deploy before they are needed.
“We want to make sure that, with the high operations tempo, wartime skills being practiced during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom are evaluated here before our Airmen deploy,” the colonel said.
The scenarios are routinely evaluated against real-world operations for relevancy. They ensure expeditionary readiness by testing combat capabilities in stressful situations, such as long hours or wearing chemical suits, he said.
The modified inspections also place a greater emphasis on preparedness for current-day battle conditions, such as mortar, rocket and chemical attacks. The colonel said units such as security forces, civil engineering, operators, maintenance and communication groups are affected by these modifications.
For example, one part of the modified scenarios focuses on improvised explosive devices. Feedback from the units deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom found testing this scenario at home to be helpful in finding IEDs and properly disposing of them while deployed.
“Our ORIs are demanding inspections. When units perform well during an ORI, they should know they have been well-trained and well-prepared for any task or any challenge they will face in expeditionary operations,” Colonel Jones said.
“We will continue to review our ACC ORI scenarios to ensure that, where possible, anything faced in (combat operations are) practiced and executed at home first,” he said.
