News

Fly-away exercise time to focus on deployed mission

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  Airmen from the 446th and 62nd Airlift Wings, and the 627th Air Base Group, will depart May 5 for the field of battle. Exactly where that is remains to be seen as Team McChord sets off on its first fly-away operational readiness exercise this year.

A second fly-away ORE is scheduled for September as active and Reserve Airmen prepare for the operational readiness inspection set for October.

More than 300 Reserve wing personnel from various squadrons will travel on C-17 Globemasters to the deployed location where they will establish 24-hour operations to simulate being in a combat zone.

"There are several reasons these MOBEX's are valuable," said Lt. Col. Ray Luevanos, 446th Mission Support Group deputy commander and chief of exercise evaluation teams.

"First, it allows us to get away from the everyday distractions of home station. For the most part we can minimize the impact of 'normal' work stressors like e-mail and phone calls when we leave McChord and allow our ORI team players to focus on the mission at hand," Luevanos said.

"Second, it allows us to test processes that are difficult to assess when we simulate them during home station exercises. Fully processing cargo and passengers allows us the opportunity to see where we can hone our skills and improve upon our processes and planning factors, especially when we remove ourselves from the conveniences of home station amenities.

"Finally, it allows us to immerse our leadership and players into more realistic scenarios. Hearing a bird cannon or a ground burst simulator go off in tandem with a smoke grenade helps instill a sense of urgency when we're doing our best to simulate conditions in a wartime environment," he said.

During the exercise, Airmen were responsible for performing their jobs as well as having required items and gear readily available to use in a moment's notice. Some of the mandatory items include: a gas mask, protective chemical suit and an Airman's Manual.

Each functional specialty will be examined and graded during the ORI in October. The flyaway exercises afford us the opportunities to preview the Contingency Readiness Training Centers where we may actually experience our ORI. So it allows us to practice on the very same field that we may have to play the "big game" on.

"The main focus should be on their primary job. The purpose of an ORI is to test the wing's ability to perform its operational mission during a contingency operation. Each one of us doing our jobs keeps that mission going," said Luevanos.

Being familiar with the Airman's Manual, says Luevanos, will help Airmen to continue to do their jobs by being able to mitigate threats, injuries, and other challenges Airmen are likely to encounter in the exercise.

"Keep the big picture in mind (moving the mission) and don't be afraid to make mistakes; now is the time to learn from those mistakes and make adjustments prior to the October ORI," Luevanos said.

When packing for the deployment, keep in mind you will need to report with items you need. You may not be able to make a shopping trip once the DPL starts. And you may want to leave your cell phones at home, as the use or possession of cellular telephones in the play area is strictly prohibited,
All personnel inside the "play area," whether on or off duty, will be considered active inspection participants and must dress/respond appropriately (e.g., MOPP, FPCON, and/or Alarm Conditions).

All occupants and operators of vehicles inside the "play area" will wear all appropriate MOPP gear and PPE for the current MOPP condition. Vehicle operators must remove their mask and may remove their chemical boots when driving outside the "play area," and will reassume the full protective posture before exiting the vehicle at their destination, if that destination is within the "play area."

Safety is the number one priority. If at any time the situation at hand jeopardizes the safety of personnel or poses the potential to damage equipment, any inspection participant can immediately declare a "time-out" to prevent the occurrence. If "time-out" is declared, actions should stop and the IG inspector will assess the situation and take appropriate corrective action.

Above all else, according to Luevanos, the importance of a positive attitude cannot be overstated.

"If you are asked a question that you don't know the answer to or you are forced to wait in a line that seems to be taking awhile, showing that you are positive and engaged and not argumentative or mopey is not only contagious, but it shows the IG and EET that we are putting our best foot forward."