Airmen tune into final training

Like the last few notes of a symphony’s warm up, Airmen at the Operational Readiness Exercise last week were in tune and ready to perform.

“These Airmen have made great strides toward setting the excellent standard for the Operational Readiness Inspection,” said Col. Kurt Lohide, 435th Air Base Wing commander. “There are 600-plus warriors working long shifts, enduring cold conditions and putting forth a tremendous effort to prepare ORI.”

***image1***Exercise Evaluation Team members were vital to the exercise as they tested Airmen’s ability to operate in the most precarious situations, whether it was responding to a media reporter at the gate with bombs strapped to his chest, reacting to an envelope with a suspicious white powder, or testing command and control when leadership was “killed off.”

“It was a tough ORE with more big events in a simulated chemical environment. The players are getting the job done, though, and are ready to polish the final details in the final ORE in March,” said Maj. Jessica Nichol, 86th Airlift Wing Inspections and Readiness Office.

Airmen participated at two separate sites for the ORE, launching and recovering C-130s and C-21 sorties, which included aeromedical evacuations, and executing day-to-day base operations.