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Andersen prepares for ORI with exercise

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brian Bahret
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  With an operational readiness inspection looming in late 2010, Andersen is holding several exercises to prepare Airmen for the event.

Andersen's first operational readiness exercise is Aug. 17-21 and, according to Tech. Sgt. Malik Franklin, 36th Wing Inspector General noncommissioned officer of exercises, the base is taking a building block approach to prepare for the ORI.

"We're trying to crawl before we run," he said, explaining that Andersen hasn't had an ORI in a few years. "We're trying to get people in the frame of mind that the ORI is coming."

In its first exercise, the IG office will test skills Airmen must be familiar with such as unit checklists, the Ability to Survive and Operate, the Airman's Manual and Unit Task Code requirements. However, they'll conduct the exercise in a way to avoid confusion.

"[The exercise in August is] not going to be as scripted as most ORE's are," Sergeant Franklin said. "Most of the time for an ORE you have a warning order and an execution order; it's all scripted from day one through day five. This is more of a combination of scenarios. We're testing responses of individual units."

Once units demonstrate they are following all the checklist procedures properly, the scenario will conclude and inspectors will begin a new scenario.

He added that future OREs will be scripted and will run from beginning to end, testing multiple scenarios simultaneously.

"We do that because we want to stress the base more than the ORI team," he said. "So when our ORI team gets here ... we're used to it. We can respond and win the fight without having to scramble. "

He said commanders and supervisors can help their Airmen prepare by ensuring everyone is familiar with the Airman's Manual, ATSO procedures, their readiness responsibilities and their unit's inspection items.

"Those are all the things that the ORI will bring to the table for us during the Andersen inspection," Sergeant Franklin said.

Andersen is unlike most other bases. In units like Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., the base deploys to a forward location for contingencies. Andersen is a platform to which other bases deploy.

"Our main focus here is reception, beddown and fight," he said. "If a war did kick off here, we'd have a lot of bombers on the tarmac. We'll receive them and we'll fight and [the inspection team will] test that."

While Andersen is a reception point, the inspectors will also test the base's deployment capability. He said Sergeant Franklin said the 36th Contingency Response Group has the most people poised for deployment. Inspectors will examine their ability to deploy as well as the base's ability to support them.

While units like the CRG, the 36 Operations Group, 36th Logistic Readiness Group, and the 36th Munitions Squadron, are visible aspects of Andersen's warfighting capability, testing other units' readiness is equally important, according to Sergeant Franklin. Whether it is to help people out-process, to support the increased infrastructure, or to help their spiritual wellbeing, all units need a plan for contingencies.

"This [Air and Space Expeditionary Force] rotation is not going to stop," he said. "We have to train like we're going to fight and fight to win."