Moody ORE tests combat readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Schloeffel
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --  The 23rd Wing is exercising its ability to prepare and implement plans for a short-notice deployment scenario. 

The four-day Operational Readiness Exercise, which includes nearly every Air Combat Command component here, began March 19 and is scheduled to wrap-up March 23. 

"We're trying to simulate a war environment where Moody Airmen will gather their resources, (and) develop and implement a plan, so if needed, they could deploy to a location efficiently and quickly," said Maj. Jim Ripple, 23rd Wing Plans and Programs chief of inspections. 

The ORE operates in two phases designed to assess the wing's readiness at different deployment stages. Phase one entails planning and resource gathering, while phase two deals with Moody's ability to survive and operate under deployment orders. 

"Phase two is when we see Moody's ability to execute (its) mission," said Major Ripple. "By doing this, we undergo the actual deployment phases by getting everyone over to the area to perform the mission of the 23rd Wing. In addition, all other agencies will take on deployment operation procedures to support the mission." 

Moody's rescue squadrons are honing their skills during the exercise by flying sorties and practicing combat search and rescue missions. The 820th Security Forces Group is also participating to provide force-protection to Moody's assets. 

In addition, the exercise includes scenarios involving unexploded ordnance identification and procedures, self-aid and buddy care, and detection of battle damage and chemical contamination on equipment. 

The event is a yearly ACC mandate and takes several months of planning and coordination with each squadron involved, said Master Sgt. Dan Williams, plans and programs superintendent. 

"ACC requires us to meet certain objectives, which guides our wing commander to make decisions (concerning the ORE) that trickle down to the agencies," he said. "We've been planning the ORE since the beginning of the year to put together all the pieces of the puzzle for the exercise." 

One of the main challenges of ORE planning is making the experience realistic enough so Airmen are prepared if they encounter similar real-world situations, said Major Ripple. 

"There is only so much we can do at Moody, but we try to teach deployment skills in areas outside of their normal environment," he said. "We train them on tasks like putting on their (chemical) gear and making sure they are operating safely. The goal is to ensure standard operating procedures are engrained in their mind." 

To ensure all the evaluation objectives are met, it is imperative all Airmen continue to take their tasks seriously, said Major Ripple. 

"From beginning to end, we try to incorporate as much realism as possible, so people can experience combat immersion rather than just read about it," he said. "The overall goal is to inject yourself into the scenario and participate as hardcore as possible. Take it seriously and try to gain experience for real-world deployments in the future." 

Perhaps the most pivotal goal of the exercise is to recognize and learn from mistakes made, rather than approach the exercise with a mindset that your unit needs to produce a flawless performance, said Major Ripple. 

"The underlying misconception during these exercises is the belief that everything needs to look shiny," he said. "We are trying to get people out of the mindset that this is an inspection. People need to realize they can make mistakes, so we can identify and improve on those weaknesses."