"We will survive to operate!"

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Bryan Gatewood
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDill AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  "ALARM RED, MOPP 4!"

"ALARM RED, MOPP 4!"

These are words Team MacDill members will hear during the upcoming operational readiness exercise and operational readiness inspection as stated recently by Col. David Cohen, 6th Air Mobility Wing vice commander.

The purpose of an ORE/ORI is to identify readiness capability of operational units and understand where shortfalls may be and how to fix them in order to be ready for whatever the national command authority decides.

For the ORE/ORI Colonel Cohen stated his intent, "We will survive to operate!"

"The intent is a means to the end," he said. "The end is getting the mission done, and for us the mission is KC-135 refueling aircraft, the aeromedical side prepping patients and moving them, and everything else that supports that."

In order to get the mission done Colonel Cohen stated, everyone needs to "first and foremost understand their mission, understand the bigger picture of what the wing is doing and understand where you fit into that picture. Because at the end of the day the goal is not to be able to put your chem gear on, the goal is to put your chem gear on to be able to survive so we can get the base and mission reconstituted and start flying airplanes and moving patients."

In addition to understanding their mission Colonel Cohen added, "This is not fun and games, or an exercise just because we want to take people's weekends and time away. This is serious and they need to live the seriousness and portray that sense of urgency to the inspectors as we're going through this."

The exercise is only a seven to 10 day process from start to finish and according to Colonel Cohen some bases relax and lose points during the redeployment phase.

"It's not over until the last airplane lands here at MacDill," he said. "So everyone needs to make sure they have that same focus -- their game faces on, throughout the entire process."

Colonel Cohen has no doubt with the pride, professionalism, integrity and commitment of the Airmen from the 6thAir Mobility Wing, 927th Air Refueling Wing and 73rd Ariel Port Squadron out of Fort Worth, Texas, that Team MacDill will pass the inspection with no less than a satisfactory rating.

"Everybody wants to get that brass ring, they want to be the best and here's our opportunity to prove it. We will survive to operate!"