Be prepared for next MOBEX – “Alarm Blue” Published May 15, 2008 By Tech. Sgt. Rodney Young 43rd Airlift Wing POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- MOBEX 08-03 is the third of five MOBEXs leading into Pope's Operational Readiness Inspection scheduled for October 26 through November 2. It is designed to improve our ability to survive and operate, solidify our mobility processes, and strengthen our ability to complete missions under adversity. This is for all of us, not just the select few representing us in the ORI. Our goal is to ensure the lowest to the highest-ranking Airman can act with a sense of urgency and complete whatever task is necessary to accomplish the mission. We have weathered MOBEX 08-01 and MOBEX 08-02 as part of the planned five MOBEX building block process leading up to the ORI. They have been calm, blue skies compared with what is on the agenda for MOBEX 08-03, scheduled for June 2-6. We will follow the Base X Plan Zones for exercising the Command and Control Alarm calls through Green, Yellow, Blue, and Black. These will be accompanied by Giant Voice and UCC guidance which may lead to split MOPP conditions. Normal services and office duties may be delayed during this week, so please be patient and try to work around obstacles and if you are a player, play full speed. That said, MOBEX 08-03 will be considerably more challenging than the previous two MOBEXs. In fact, it will be 4 times larger in scope consisting of processing 400 short tons of cargo and 450 pax. Therefore, Phase 1 (June 2-3) will encompass 24-hour operations as units scramble to move cargo and pax through the Cargo Deployment Function and Passenger Deployment Function. Draw from your past MOBEX experience to ensure that cargo paperwork and mobility folders are perfect this time! Phase II (June 4-6) will encompass normal duty hours with various base-wide attack scenarios to include ground, mortar, and missile attacks. Prepare now by reviewing your Airman's Manual along with the ORI Ground Rules. Ask yourself, "Do I know which action to take during each Alarm Condition and MOPP level?". The Airman's Manual is a required item for you to possess on your person during MOBEXs and the ORI. Ask your unit's EET representative for the ORI Ground Rules. Phase II actions will concentrate on ATSO actions, to include MOPPs, PAR sweeps, and Shelter-In-Place. IG will grade all players in these events in addition to your expertise area like Fire or SFS or CONS. The goal in MOBEXs is the same as during the 20-month CBRNE refresher classes: hands on experience. The idea is to get concentrated exposure in wearing the MOPP gear, walking the PAR routes, going to the Shelter in Place, recognizing the UXO, and treating that wounded buddy. Pull out the Airman's Manual- AFMAN 10-100 and discuss how to follow the checklist steps for marking a contaminated area, making the UCC report, recognizing and treating for shock...and then do it! Play as realistic and hands-on as possible. Attitude, Attitude, Attitude! Countless IG grades that were on the fence bumped up because of a good attitude and just as many were bumped down because the players were simply going through the motions. The best way to prepare for a test is know the test. The IG Web site has all the checklists for each area, the grading criteria, and the ground rules. These MOBEXs support the IG grading structure so you should have no surprise in the real inspection next Oct. If you can't break the IG code, please call your EET or Wing Plans and Programs at 394-1310 or 394-1776 for help getting to the information you need. Pope leadership continues to reinforce and support the notion that we play as full and realistically as possible -- what a great opportunity to show Pope Pride!