Team MacDill rated ‘Excellent’ in combat readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Patrice Clarke
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. --  The many months of training and preparation paid off for the members of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, when it earned an "Excellent" overall for the Air Mobility Command Operational Readiness Inspection held last week. 

"I couldn't be prouder of the wings performance and it's phenomenal Airmen," said Col. Robert Thomas, 6 AMW commander. "We are all Airmen, that includes officers, enlisted, and civilian members." 

The ORI tests the wing's readiness and ability to deploy and perform the wartime mission capabilities in a contaminated area, said Maj. Kingston Lampley, 6th AMW chief of plans and programs. 

The favorable ORI results follow the 6 AMW successfully meeting 8044 Strategic Support Mission requirements. 

More than 750 military members from MacDill, Jackson Air National Guard, Miss., and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., descended upon the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, in Gulfport, Miss. to show the AMC Inspector General team what the members of MacDill already knew: that they were prepared and ready for whatever the IG team had to throw at them. 

Before base members even took a step on Gulfport soil the unit deployment managers throughout the base played a big part in getting the people there. 

"The UDM's involvement was and is critical," said Master Sgt. Brian Stevens, 6 AMW unit deployment manager. "Besides the usual UDM stuff like making sure the member's training is up to date and making sure that they have all their equipment, we also took care of making sure the member had lodging and the little extras that would smooth their deployment." 

The Military Personnel Flight and its members also played an integral part of getting people out the door to Gulfport. 

"The unit deployment managers as well as the members did an outstanding job ensuring their mobility folders were inspection ready," said Capt. David Olinger, Flight commander. "As a result of their hard work, all chalks departed on time." 

Once in Gulfport the MacDill members put all their knowledge to the test, many in extra duties outside their AFSCs. 

"I'm proud of all the ORI players," said Col. Tim Smith, 6 AMW vice commander.. "Each one of them was able to function out of their AFSC. You don't go to tech school for door guard, or quick response force, or post attack reconnaissance teams, but everyone at the ORI was able to do their job and that extra duty and I commend them for that." 

The preparation and planning was extensive for the ORI but it paid off with the score the 6 AMW received. The things that weren't graded made the most difference, though. 

"The biggest thing I saw during the ORI was the overwhelming sense of pride that the members of MacDill showed," said Colonel Smith. "I didn't see a single bad attitude and was highly impressed with our warriors' work ethic." 

"Every person in the wing contributed to this rating, from the people who actually went to Gulfport to the members who stayed back and picked up the slack in the work station," said Colonel Thomas. "This is our rating and I am extremely proud of the wing.