1st, 192nd Fighter Wings unite in Langley ORI

  • Published
  • By David Hopper
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  The 1st Fighter Wing and the 192nd Fighter Wing united for the Air Force's first total force Operational Readiness Inspection here the week of April 21.

The Total Force Integration concept proved to be a success during the ORI, earning the combined force an "Excellent" rating by the Air Combat Command Inspector General.

The Air National Guard has made the 1st FW much stronger, said Lt. Col. Christopher Levy, 1st FW chief of plans, programs and exercises. They bring with them a wealth of experience and the ability to give team Langley continuity as the active duty members come in and out of this organization.

Air Force officials said Total Force Integration incorporates innovative organizational constructs with a smaller, more capable force structure to leverage increased capability from new technology and capitalize on the wealth of talent inherent in the active duty Air Force, Guard, and Reserve components.

In this ORI more than 100 Guardsmen participated in the inspection and sat side by side with their active duty counterparts, said Guardsman Lt. Col. Phillip Guy, 192nd FW chief of plans, programs and exercises. The Guardsmen were there doing the job with the active duty proving that total force does work.

With the exception of unit patches, active duty Airmen and Guard Airmen were indistinguishable during the ORI, said Colonel Levy. The Guard is completely integrated in every aspect of 1st FW operations and wing leadership expressed delight to have them as team members.

This inspection was also unique because it was the first time the F-22 has been part of an Air Force ORI since it achieved Final Operational Capability Dec. 12.

"The F-22 performed superbly," said Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Christopher L. Young, 1st Operations Group chief of standardization and evaluation. "They destroyed over 250 enemy aircraft and did not take a single loss."

The sophisticated F-22A design, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected aircraft.

This is the first time the F-22's have flown to their full capabilities and generating the sorties that they did, said Colonel Young. One hundred percent of the sorties set up were effective.
The fifth-generation F-22 was part of the Total Force package at Langley which integrates Air Force components into missions critical to future warfighting - an initiative of the 2007 Air Force posture statement.

"Total Force has moved from a future concept to today's reality," wrote Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne in a letter to Airmen. "One team, one fight, with a shared, disciplined combat focus."