Unit prepares for ORI Published Feb. 14, 2006 By 2nd Lt. Reed Robertson 446 Airlift Wing Public Affairs MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Operational readiness inspection is an often dreaded event that prompts many months of planning for some, and several days of scrutiny for others. ORIs are nothing new for the 446th Airlift Wing, as the unit is just off the heels of one such inspection last year. Now the wing is looking forward to yet another ORI in Alpena, Mich., this June. In order for a squadron to be successful in the inspection, its people need to be ready to perform their jobs under stresses, and often times dangerous conditions. In preparation for the upcoming ORI, the 86th Aerial Port Squadron here is taking every opportunity to ensure it does well. In January, the unit received a visit from the 4th Air Force to evaluate its operation and give feedback to the leadership of the squadron. The officer in charge of the 42-person team is Capt. Anthony Edwards, a logistics readiness officer in the squadron. “We just went through an evaluation from outside observers and we will use their findings in preparation for our inspection,” he said. Another opportunity the squadron will take advantage of is the Deployment Readiness Training, a school hosted by the Air Force Reserve Command at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia. While at this eight-day course, students are placed in simulated danger-ous conditions and tested to see how well they accomplish the requirements of their Air Force Specialty Code. Captain Edwards said, “This is an excellent advantage that we have in the Reserve. Because there is one location command wide, we receive much better training than if we were to stay at our base and try to set up our own environments to train in.” After sending a team to the Deployment Readiness Training, and after participating in several exercises and practices, the 86th Ae-rial Port Squadron Airmen will be ready to show they can operate in any environment and perform their jobs with the highest sense of urgency and attention to detail – both key ingredients for a successful aerial port team. Whether it is loading and taking inventory of pallets and equipment, performing foreign object damage checks on vehicles, loading the equipment on the 60K tunner, or transferring the equipment to the aircraft, this team is ready for anything it faces - which in this case is the 2006 Operational Readiness Inspection. “Regardless of the challenges presented to the members of the 86th APS, there is always a long list of volunteers wanting to step up and take on anything,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Benjamin, the squadron first sergeant. “This attitude is reflected in the outstanding ratings received on the last ORI,” he said. “The 86th APS was the first aerial port squadron in the Air Force Reserve, and its members are model citizen Airmen who live up to the squadron’s motto ‘Parantes Parati’ - To prepare is to be prepared.”