Same players, same game

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kent Kagarise
  • 442 FW/PA
WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. --  In July, 442nd Fighter Wing reservists trained for the August operational readiness inspection - an inspection some Citizen Airmen remember participating in the last time the wing underwent a phase-one inspection in April 1997.

Like the last inspection more than 14 years ago, reservists worked feverishly in July to ensure troops boarded a simulated plane with all the necessary items that would allow them to enter the combat theater with a sound mind, comfortable that their affairs were in order.

Lt. Col. Roxane Williams, 442nd FW process manager described her job as being a "den mother" and said she wanted to make sure everybody left with a smile on their face, and prepared for what is ahead at the WAA.

"I've been in this position before when I helped Airmen deploy to Iraq after 9/11," Williams said. "It's really personal for me because I know what it's like to look into the faces of people I worked closely with and not know if I'll ever see them again."

Staff Sgt. Amanda Spieker, 442nd FW unit deployment manager for the ORE, spent her time muddling through "mountains of paperwork" and digging through people's bags to guarantee everything was in accordance with Air Force instruction.

"The best thing Airmen can do is be personally prepared for deployment to make the whole process move along smoothly," Spieker said. "It's all about maintaining a positive mental attitude."

Williams said she likes working in this capacity as a unit-deployment manager because she is able to help troops deploy to a location where they will execute the Air Force mission effectively.

"I'll never be able to turn a wrench, so this is as operational as I'll ever be, which is why I want this process to be as good of an experience as possible for Airmen going to war," Williams said.

Senior Airman Zac Broughton, 442nd Logistical Readiness Squadron is experiencing his first phase-one inspection as a motor vehicle operator. Broughton started his day at noon and did not expect to be relieved until 10 p.m. as he transported reservists to their destination.

"Considering the hours I'm working and the extreme heat when I help load bags I have to stay mentally alert and simply be in the right place at the right time," Broughton said. "Timeliness is my main concern."

Chaplain (Capt.) Ben Hayden, 442nd FW, has never deployed but went to Red Flag 11-2, an aerial gun competition, and said as he went through the deployment line he considered it an opportunity to practice for a real deployment.

"I just try to have fun, lighten the moment and get to know people," Hayden said. "It's nice to get to know faces and for them to get to know mine."

Hayden said that keeping everybody's morale up around you is as important as maintaining your personal positive outlook.

"Considering how much time we are all spending in one place, I think we should all take advantage of the opportunity to get to know each other better during the OREs, and especially the ORI, while we lean on each other." Hayden said.

Hayden said he looks forward to being deployed and that he wants to be able to experience what others have experienced. He said he believes it would be the pinnacle of his career to be able to provide ministry in a deployed location.

In 2008, Master Sgt. Robert Kjos, 442nd Maintenance Squadron crew chief deployed to Afghanistan and said the experience of going through the deployment line was good and allowed him to see what so many people do behind the scenes to get Airmen deployed.
"It's important to see what they (Senior Master Sgt. Rodney and Tech. Sgt. Shannon Kennedy, deployment superintendents) do: Setting up chalks and getting equipment to us," Kjos said. "When you go through this process in the real world, you're focused on yourself and can feel like cattle being herded around, but this helps us see what it takes to get people, planes and equipment in place," he said. "If we're missing any of those three we can't get our job done and this is how it all gets put together to make it work."

As the ORI approaches, the experiences and lessons learned from the last ORI in 1997 to now may bring the 442nd FW one step closer to being trained and deployed ready reservists. In 1997 the wing received an 'outstanding' grade on the inspection. At the time, it was combined with a phase-two inspection. The wing's most recent phase-two inspection was in July 2010.