May RAV dress rehearsal for real ORI

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kent Kagarise
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The seats in the theater are empty but the cast is in full costume and their lines are memorized as they prepare for opening night. It is one of many dress rehearsals where they hone the delivery of each line in hopes of rave reviews from the critics.

The 442nd Fighter Wing is not preparing for a play but the buzz-word around base seems to be, "dress rehearsal." May's unit training assembly will include a readiness-assistance visit from 10th Air Force, which will point out where the wing excels and what the wing must improve on in preparation for the operational readiness inspection in October.

"The readiness assistance visit won't give us our final grade," said Colonel James Mackey, the 442nd vice wing commander. "The 10th Air Force team is talking directly with the Air Combat Command Inspector General team, therefore we can expect the same thing in October."

"In a sense it's a dress rehearsal," he said.

Colonel Ozzie Gorbitz, 10th Air Force assistant director of operations and RAV team leader, explained that he and his inspectors will strive to provide the 442nd a full dress rehearsal for its upcoming operational readiness inspection.

"If our RAV team does the job properly it will mirror October's ORI," he said.

Approximately 70 people will make up the RAV team and will use a script similar to the script used by the Air Combat Command Inspector General, but turned up to a higher frequency in order to be more demanding than the IG team in October.

"The RAV team hopes to identify any ORI issues the wing has and is a resource to help correct deficiencies before the actual ORI," Colonel Gorbitz said.

As 442nd FW Citizen Airmen prepare for May's UTA, they may wish to heed these words of wisdom.

"Treat it no differently than the actual ORI," Colonel Gorbitz said.

The results of the RAV will be used to validate outstanding performers and superior processes to help other units who will prepare for ORIs, Colonel Gorbitz explained.

The RAV team's visit brings high demands and Airmen should be ready for the bar to be raised in May, Colonel Mackey said.

"I want to see an ORI scenario in May that challenges us more than the IG team will in October, so Airmen should come prepared," he said.

There is some good news as the wing approaches the light at the end of the tunnel.

"May brings us six more days in the gas mask, but after that there are only four," Colonel Mackey said.