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Team Ramstein gears up for the next operational readiness exercise here Monday through Feb. 5.
The ORE will consist of Phase I and Phase II exercises where members of the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Ground Operations Wing get the opportunity to test their capabilities and operational skills while deployed and defending the home
station.
“The 86th AW and 435th AGOW Airmen can expect to see the first integrated exercise of the two wings since we reorganized last summer,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Roth, Ramstein inspection and readiness chief. “The December ORE was about developing processes and skills. The January ORE is about employing them.”
When the exercise begins, Team Ramstein will simulate they have been deployed to a Non-combatant Evacuation Operation in the Mediterranean.
“In broad strokes, 435th AGOW Airmen ‘deploy’ to a simulated downrange location on 86th AW C-130s,” Colonel Roth said. “Once in place, the CRG will establish and defend the base, while the 435th Air and Space Communications Group prepares a robust communications infrastructure. Meanwhile, back at Ramstein, 86th AW Airmen will process their own personnel and equipment through the mobility processing machine. Once the mobility process concludes, Phase II at Ramstein will involve 86th AW and 435th AGOW Airmen ‘fighting the base’ in an Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) environment.”
Phase II begins Jan. 30 and runs through the morning of Feb. 1. Being prepared for both Phase I and Phase II are vital to the success of the exercise. Some ways to get ready for the ORE include reviewing the Airman’s Manual and working with those who have participated in past exercises and know what to expect.
“The best thing to do is talk to the people who were out there in Phase II and ask them what they learned,” said Maj. Michael Pontiff, Ramstein Inspections and Readiness deputy chief. “Open up your Airman’s Manual and start thinking about where to go if you have to evacuate your building because of an exercise inject or real-world incident. That’s why we’re excited about the opportunity to exercise the base, because it has real-world applications.”
The major also recommended units review evacuation plans, entry-control point procedures or shelter-in-place procedures for their buildings, as they will be procedures that are evaluated in the next exercise.
And, one thing to take away is an encouraging outlook on the situation.
“Whether exercise or real-world, we have to be safe in all our operations,” Colonel Roth added. “A good sense of urgency and a positive attitude are two key ingredients for success.”
This next exercise is the second of five OREs designed to help prepare the 86th AW and 435th AGOW for the Operational Readiness Inspection scheduled this fall.
