CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
"Sir, why are we having an ORI if we're already at war and deploying downrange everyday?"
This question, probably the most common one I get from young Airmen these days, makes a lot of sense on the surface. They're right, we're at war. We've got more than a fourth of the wing deployed -- almost 900 Airmen. We have an entire C-17 squadron moving servicemembers and supplies throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Our entire base is supporting the movement of life-saving mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to folks serving in the most dangerous areas of the world. With all that said, "Why are we having an ORI?"
Operational Readiness Inspections are needed to prove to our senior leaders that the 437th and 315th Airlift Wing team is prepared to go to war. This is not for some kind of grade. ORIs task many of the mission sets that we aren't doing in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's the reason for these months of preparation. In the past year, much has changed as far as manning here in the wing and what missions we are consistently on tap to perform. Presidential Budget Decision (PBD) 720 has changed our structure, with many positions going away or functions moving to consolidated centers at other bases. Services done here by Airmen are now done by contractors or sometimes not at all. Throw in what we've done with joint basing, and you really start to see why we need to show our leadership that we can still get the job done.
The ORI in August will essentially be the easiest test you've ever had to take ... it's open book! We know what the questions are and we know what the answers are too. The Inspector General is not looking to trick us. They're not about throwing curve balls, but making sure we can accomplish a wartime tasking safely and efficiently.
Taking from Lt. Col. Kimsey's commentary last week, during his tenure as the Air Mobility Command IG, Maj. Gen. Mark Zamzow assembled the following list of the top 10 ways to dazzle the IG:
· Competence
· Responsiveness
· Attitude
· Readiness
· Aggressiveness
· Appearance
· Safety
· Leadership
· Followership
· Pride
That's all there is to it folks. I think we do it better here than everyone else. Now it's time to prove it to AMC.
Finally, I'd like to congratulate Lt. Col. James Loe, 437th Medical Group, on his selection for colonel; Majs. Seung Paik, 437th Comptroller Squadron, James DeHaan, 14th Airlift Squadron, and Randy Culbreth, 437th Contracting Squadron, on their selection for lieutenant colonel; and Capt. Gwendolyn Beitz, Area Defense Counsel, on her selection for major.
Team Charleston - Take the Fight to the Enemy!