Eglin gears up for joint command Operational Readiness Inspection

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Dawn Hart and Jenna McMullin
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs and 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The old adage of "practice makes perfect" may not have stemmed from an operational readiness inspection, but its meaning couldn't be more appropriate.

After preparing for more than a year, wing leadership believes Team Eglin is ready to demonstrate their wartime proficiencies for the Air Combat Command and Air Force Materiel Command Inspector General teams when they visit Eglin Monday through Nov. 20.

"I think we're on track -- we've got everything in place to make it work and I think we're definitely sitting in 'excellent' territory," said Col. Keith Feaga, 33rd Fighter Wing vice commander. "'Outstanding' is well within our reach."

Five operational readiness exercises this year alone have meshed the Airmen of the 33rd FW and 96th Air Base Wing into the 33rd Air Expeditionary Wing, a team that Col. Eric Pohland, 96th ABW vice commander, thinks has become a confident warfighting force.

"I have tremendously enjoyed watching that maturing process," he said. "The process of gaining experience and seeing people, individually, going from being a little bit timid and nervous about their performance during an ORI build-up to that level of confidence that says 'I'm the best; let me be part of it.' It's just neat to see."

What it comes down to, Colonel Feaga added, is teaching combat skills for survival.

"From the pilots flying the airplanes, to the maintainers who are providing quality aircraft downrange to do the mission, to the base's ability to survive and continue to operate," Colonel Feaga said. "The whole thing comes together to build the combat skills that are so important to keep our folks alive, number one, and number two, performing the mission. That's the ultimate goal."

While the ORI specifically targets the missions of the 33rd FW and 96th ABW, additional facets involve the entire installation. Special Interest Items and the Force Protection Condition exercise portions of the exercise are just a few of the ways the ORI touches all of Team Eglin, but the leadership believes the base is ready.

"This is not an active-duty military exercise," Colonel Pohland said. "This is all of our players combining their talents. There's no group that doesn't have at least some fingertip on the day-in and day-out performance which then translates into how we do in the IG inspection."

He said the professional participation and expertise of all of Team Eglin have been tested and he expects the entire team to do well. The ORI also serves to prepare Airmen to win wars, Colonel Feaga said.

"This is not just down here on Nomad Way and it's not just the 96th Air Base Wing -- we are providing combatant commanders with ready forces to do the mission and that's what all of us in ACC and AFMC are about," he said. "We are force providers for the forward combatant commanders."

Both colonels agreed that the AEW has made significant progress and improvements throughout the past 12 months. From self-aid and buddy care to the ability to survive and operate, completing the mission with the added stress of a hostile environment hasn't been easy, but Colonel Pohland said he has enjoyed watching exercise players hone their skills and become, not just proficient, but the experts.

To the Airmen of the AEW, Colonel Feaga offered the following simple advice for putting the AEW over the "excellent" edge:

"[You] already have the job knowledge and technical expertise, but we have to throw in that extra attitude, enthusiasm and professionalism."

The last time the two wings had a combined inspection was 2000.