Base gears up for ORI Published May 15, 2008 By Derek Kaufman 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Airmen from across the base suited up with Kevlar helmets, vests, weapons and chemical protective ensembles to participate in two days of training at the Expeditionary Combat Skills Training area here May 13-14. It was the first scenario-driven employment exercise this year designed to test defense against conventional and chemical attacks, said Maj. Jason Jackson, chief of the 88th Air Base Wing Installation Exercise Program Office. Larger scale, more comprehensive and challenging exercise events are planned later in the year in the spin-up for the March 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection by Air Force Materiel Command inspectors. "We're familiarizing them with MOPP (Mission-Oriented Protective Posture) levels, FPCON (Force Protection Condition) changes, exposing them to a variety of attacks," Jackson said. "Special emphasis for this exercise is base-level command and control." Lt. Col. Scott Katz, 88th Mission Support Group deputy commander, served as the deployed base commander. Responding to inputs by red-hatted exercise evaluation team members, he and his group used radios, "giant voice" loudspeakers, sirens and flags to communicate critical information to his deployed force. Alarm Red Already wearing protective charcoal overgarments in anticipation that the simulated enemy may employ chemical weapons, Airmen quickly donned their masks, hoods and gloves when the attack warning sounded. Seeking shelter underneath whatever was available, they performed buddy checks to ensure gear was properly fitted and worn. Eagle-eyed EET members would occasionally point out a missed snap or loose piece of Velcro that might invite injury in an actual attack. During an mid-day break, Katz gave a quick assessment of how the morning went. "How many here have already deployed?," Katz, who himself recently returned from a deployment to Iraq, asked. About half of the Airmen present raised their hands. Some of those had been on more than one tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The colonel and Carmen Riches, 88th Air Base Wing exercise program manager, then offered suggestions to the Airmen on how to get the most out of the training. Impact to daily operations It's not always easy for commanders to release people ranging from acquisition program managers to medical technicians from their daily duties - but it's vitally important, Riches said. "This is more than just getting ready for an ORI," Riches said of the exercise. "We're digging deep to prepare for the inspection, but this training saves lives when our people deploy for real." Col. Colleen Ryan, 88th Air Base Wing commander, came out to briefly observe the activity. She asked commanders across the installation to work with their unit deployment managers to ensure people scheduled to participate attend all exercises and training events. Equally important is for commanders to work with their EET members to integrate realistic injects into future exercises and to share and review valuable lessons learned, she said. Play it hard Wright-Patterson Medical Center and 88th Medical Group commander, Col. Kimberly Slawinski, came out with Col. Ryan to see her people in action in the field May 13. She emphasized there is no silver bullet to guarantee outstanding performance during an ORI, but people absolutely need to demonstrate a sense of urgency and realism in all of their actions, while keeping safety at the forefront. "The secret is play hard. Play it like it's real - someday your life may depend on it," Slawinski said.