Reservists, Regulars complete readiness exercise at McConnell AFB

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jason Schaap
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  About half of the Airmen in the 931st Air Refueling Group received a cold and wet welcome to the latest installment of total-force integration at McConnell AFB.

A mix of November rain and winter's first snowfall greeted members of the 931st and its Regular Air Force host unit, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, during a three-day operational readiness exercise that began Sunday. It was the first ORE at McConnell to feature 931st Reservists fully-integrated with their 22nd counterparts.

"We approached the exercise saying, 'Whatever the 22nd is going to do, we're going to mirror the same thing,'" said Capt. Doug Crow, who recently took over as the 931st process manager. "If they dedicated 25 percent (of a unit's manning), we would dedicate 25 percent."

More than 200 Reservists suited up Sunday for Ability-To-Survive-and-Operate training, what organizers called an ATSO Rodeo. The 931st Airmen rotated between training stations at a remote part of the base, receiving instruction from their 22nd ARW teammates about decontamination, defensive fighting and other skills.

Several Airmen who attended a post-exercise meeting Wednesday said they were impressed with how well the total-force ATSO training went.

"They definitely had everything setup to move" said Senior Airman Marit Johnson, 931st Aerospace Medicine Flight health services technician. "It was really well organized."

Leaders of the 931st geared choosing exercise participants toward those who had not participated in the Group's 2008 Operational Readiness Inspection and the many training events that surrounded it. The goal was to get the training to those who needed it the most. For some, it was their first ORE.

Captain Crow estimated that 10 or more Airmen from the 931st Aerospace Medicine Flight alone were experiencing an ORE for the first time. Airman Johnson, who joined the Air Force and the 931st in 2007, was one of those Airmen. The exercise involved training she hadn't completed since boot camp.

"I like that it was hands on," the Salsbury, Md., native said. "It was good to re-remember all that. I had almost completely forgotten it."

Col. Edsel "Archie" Frye Jr., commander of the 931st ARG, has made participating in more exercises with the 22nd ARW a top priority. Captain Crow said during the Wednesday meeting that leadership was looking at continuing ORE scenarios semi-annually. He quoted Colonel Frye when summing up the purpose:

"'The whole reason we're doing this,'" the colonel said, "'is so that I don't ever have to tell your parents you died because you didn't know how to put on a (protective) suit.'"

There are three things need for an ORE, Captain Crow said--individual, unit and installation ATSO scenarios. Team McConnell fulfilled the installation requirement with its first ever fully-integrated tabletop exercise.

Commanders and other senior leaders from the 931st assembled with their 22nd counterparts Tuesday in a simulated control center to strategize a mock battle in East Asia. Maj. Jeff Mrazik, chief of wing inspections for the 22nd and the ORE director, planned and steered the tabletop.

It was rewarding, he said, to watch his fellow active-duty leaders and the Reservists learning from each other.

"That was our focus," Major Mrazik said, "having the functionals working together in a (simulated deployment)--you can really pick up a lot of stuff ...you have twice the experience."

With Colonel Frye called away from McConnell on temporary duty Wednesday, Lt. Col. Chris Amend addressed the 931st's ORE participants on behalf of the Group's command staff. Colonel Amend is director of operations for the 18th Air Refueling Squadron, the flying unit of the 931st.

"(Even with crummy weather) attitudes were great," he said. "If you were frustrated, you didn't let it show. We're real pleased."


See the Show
Click here to watch a photo slideshow of the 931st ARG's ORE participation at McConnell AFB.