Ramstein to exercise in July in preparation for ORI

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amanda Dick
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  As the year moves along, Team Ramstein gets closer and closer to the operational readiness inspection in September.

To help gear up for the ORI, the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Ground Operations Wing will test their deployment capabilities, ability to survive and operate and combat readiness in an operational readiness exercise scheduled July 11 through 19.

"This exercise will be a full-scale ORI dress rehearsal," said. Lt. Col. Joseph Roth, Ramstein Inspections and Readiness chief. "It will mimic as close as possible the scope, timeline and pacing of what we expect the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Inspector General team to use."

During Phase I of the exercise, the aim will be to polish deployment procedures.

"We will focus on good, crisp cargo and passenger movement processes," Colonel Roth said. "We have to get a lot of cargo and passengers through the system in a short amount of time."

For Phase II, operations and communication will be the focal point.

"We are evaluating 86 AW and 435 AGOW ability to perform their missions in a variety of threat-based scenarios. The wings should have effective communications and efficient command and control processes," the colonel said. "A measure of that will be having a good flow of information from individual Airmen to the wing leadership and back."

During Phase II, units will also test their response capabilities.

"A difference in this ORE is the unit will need to more completely demonstrate the post attack recovery sequence," Colonel Roth said. "During the ORI, in all the scenarios and phases, the IG will expect us to take our actions to a logical conclusion."

Exercise participants will continue to see defined exercise areas and transition centers throughout the duration of the exercise.

"Having defined exercise areas, where the heart of the base is, helps focus the exercise on actual resources -- personnel, facilities and equipment -- and to coordinate the 'attack' on those assets, response and then recovery," said Master Sgt. David Gallagher, Ramstein Inspections and Readiness superintendent.

Several Airmen will also be selected to test their ATSO processes.

"The ATSO evaluation is a mirror image of what the IG will expect from us," Sergeant Gallagher said. "For example, donning the gas mask, recognizing M8 paper, conducting a post attack reconnaissance sweep, self- aid & buddy care ... those are all the areas we need to work on for this upcoming ORE."

To prepare themselves, Team Ramstein members should make sure all of their mobility gear is serviceable and in order, review emergency procedures for their unit, talk with their unit's exercise evaluation team members if they have questions and as always review their Air Force Pamphlet 10-100 Airman's Manual.

The July exercise will begin July 11, and the defined exercise area will be set up by July 15. A "progression of activities" will take the installation into a heightened defensive posture, Colonel Roth said.

Numerous base customer service areas will have reduced hours or be closed throughout the exercise. Check out the Kaiserslautern American and Ramstein public Web page, http://www.ramstein.af.mil, for updates.