ORI preparation - Important for everyone Published Feb. 13, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Chris Hoyler 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Pope began training for October's Operational Readiness Inspection with the first of five mobility exercises Feb. 4 to 8. Units throughout the base spent an entire week working on the important building blocks in preparation for the Air Mobility Command Inspector General's visit, which will be either Oct. 18 to 25 or Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. "What we're really targeting is the general things: self-aid buddy care, unexploded ordinance recognition, post-attack reconnaissance routes, putting on the mission-oriented protective posture gear," said Maj. David Brummitt, 43rd Airlift Wing Plans and Inspections Chief, said. "Everybody has to do those things; everybody has to be OPSEC smart and safety conscious." Maj. Paul Pepe, 43rd AW Chief of Wing Exercises, explained that the week of mobility exercises was in "phase one," in which a unit should be able to prepare in a "clean" environment, without wearing MOPP gear or worrying about attacks. "We'll add in as we go along," Major Pepe said. "We will add in different things in the later ones, attacks and such, to build up." The build up will continue until the AMC inspection, with the MOBEXs occurring at a consistent two-month pace. Below are important dates for the 2008 ORI: MOBEX 2: Apr. 7 to 11 MOBEX 3: June 2 to 6 MOBEX 4: July 28 to Aug. 1 MOBEX 5: Sept. 22 to 26 "The goal of each MOBEX is to successfully build upon the other with emphasis being placed upon the ability for units to process cargo in an efficient manner, and the ability to survive and operate within a hostile environment," Tech. Sgt. Rodney Young, 43rd AW Wing Exercises, said. The full calendar of exercises and inspections can be found on the Pope intranet Web site. On the left sidebar, click "43 AW Staff," then "43 AW/XP" and follow the link the Pope calendar. Also, a link can be found on that same intranet Website to the AMC IG Web site on the Air Force Portal. "Everything is on the Web site," Major Brummitt said. "They give you the test, they want you to know the test." Included on that site is an "Inspections" link, in which you can find inspection criteria, ground rules, checklists and more. Also, there are functional area breakdowns, so whatever job one may have can be understood clearly. "Whoever you are, they have the right way for you to do the job," Major Brummitt said. Everyone stressed that training for an ORI is important, regardless of position in an organization, and that all individual actions of an ORI, from self-aid buddy care to PAR routes and MOPP gear, can be learned by reading the Airman's Manual. "A lot of things people get stuck on are right there in the manual," Major Brummitt said. "That needs to be connected to hands-on experience. Doing the shelter-in-place, or recognitions or buddy care. "All of those things are there in the manual, but the other step is hands-on, doing it. That's why we are doing five MOBEXs, so people can get as much experience as possible before the ORI. That's just a learning style; reading it is not the same as reading it and doing it." The preparation team understands that five MOBEXs may seem like a lot, but with four-to-six month deployment rotations affecting every Airman, it is important for everyone to get at least one or two weeks of training in before the ORI. "People don't see the big picture, and it interferes with their normal duty day," Major Pepe said. "We're all creatures of habit. People wonder why we are doing this, but if everybody is on the same team, they understand it interrupts their day but they understand why they are doing it." For more information on ORI preparation, check the 43 AW/XP Pope intranet site at https:///intranet.pope.af.mil/default.aspx or contact Wing Plans and Programs at 394-1310/1776.