JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
As we put the finishing touches on our Operational Readiness Inspection preparations, let's take a moment to consider game six of the recent Major League Baseball World Series. Why, you ask? Hang on ... you'll see.
For those of you who may not follow baseball, the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals were battling for the biggest prize in baseball. The Rangers had never won a World Series, while St. Louis is the franchise with the most World Series titles among National League clubs.
In a similar fashion, Team Charleston is known throughout Air Mobility Command for its teamwork, professionalism and record of getting the job done. Bottom line, if you want the job done ... Team Charleston will answer the call.
At the beginning of the season, St. Louis had another superstar roster and appeared to be on the hunt for another title. But they struggled throughout the season and were 10 1/2 games out of first place in late August. A late season run got them into the playoffs as a wild card entry where they faced elimination four times, including game six.
Similarly, our team of superstars struggled a bit with our initial Mobility Exercise and fly-away ORE. Between OREs, our team worked hard to refine our processes all while continuing the workload associated with the world-wide airlift and Joint Base support missions. But mirroring the Cardinals' late surge, Team Charleston's most recent ORE demonstrated tremendous progress.
Heading into game six of the World Series, Texas held a 3-2 series lead and needed one win for the Series Title. With time running out, the Cards found themselves facing elimination. Then the heroics began.
Down by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, David Freese delivered a two-run triple to tie the game and avoid elimination.
In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Cards found themselves down by two again. After some clutch hitting and a sacrifice bunt led to one run, Lance Berkman tied the game with an RBI single to stave off elimination ... again
Finally in the bottom of the eleventh inning, David Freese delivered the knock-out punch with a solo home run. The rest is history as the Cards went on to win game seven and the Series.
So what is the significance of this game to you and the ORI? Well, baseball is a team sport where success depends upon everyone understanding their roles and performing them to the best of their ability. But there are times, as we saw in game six, where individuals can make a huge difference as Berkman and Freese did with the game on the line.
Like baseball, the ORI is a team sport. And like game six, there will be times when individual performances make the difference in the overall outcome. As a team, we've prepared almost exhaustively. But in the end, Team Charleston's success may come down to your individual preparation and your attitude. Have you studied your Airman's Manual? Do you know your role as a PAR Team member or Facility Manager? Can you demonstrate urgency in reacting to a bugle call, Alarm Red or change in Mission Oriented Protection Posture condition? Can you survive AND operate? Are you ready to perform self-aid buddy care on a teammate with the Inspector General watching your every move?
In the end, each Airman plays a critical role in the ORI. Whether you are part of the 121 Air Expeditionary Wing in Gulfport or staying behind to deploy/redeploy the force, you are under the IG's watchful eyes and may be asked to deliver the game-winning hit. Are YOU Ready?