Vance ORI down home stretch

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  • By Public Affairs
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Vance Air Force Base completed the majority of its Air Education and Training Command Operational Readiness Inspection, which concludes Tuesday.
The inspection included major accident response and deployment exercises as well as unit reviews.
"Operational readiness inspections help us get better as an Air Force," said Col. Vic Hnatiuk, AETC ORI team chief. "You know we are coming, so you prepare hard for six months, and just by preparing you improve your skills and processes. So, if we were to call the week before and say we're not coming, the wing would still have seen much improvement just from the ORI preparation alone. Also, along with inspecting, our inspectors are here to help teach our newest Airmen the skills they need to succeed in their mission areas. Bottom line, we try very hard to teach while we inspect.
"To use another analogy, if a teacher in a class you're taking were to say, 'None of today's information will be testable,' would you listen very hard? What if the teacher said '50 percent of today's information will be your entire grade for this year's course.' I would bet you'd pay attention in that class. So, I think the fact the inspection team is coming helps make people pay attention."
"We travel because General (William) Looney (AETC commander) believes it's vital to inspect," said Dave Smith, AETC ORI team public affairs inspector. "If your preparation wasn't important to him, we wouldn't be here."
The inspection team looks for more than what the base knows, however.
"I look for attitude first, aptitude second," Colonel Hnatiuk said. "We, the Air Force, can teach you pretty much anything you want you to learn if you have a positive attitude and internal motivation to succeed."
A large part of the inspection is the exercises, Colonel Hnatiuk said. "The exercise portion of the ORI is very important, given the world that we live in today. Vance's mission is to train pilots. But, if a disaster or terrorist attack hits the base, we need to know how to handle it and protect our people and our resources. So the contingency exercises play a big part in the overall conduct of the inspection."
"Instructor pilot checkrides, safety practices, specialty testing, special interest item compliance, mission briefs, barrier plans, program strengths, and best practices -- this week has seen beehive-like activity all around Vance AFB," said Lt. Col. Dave Marshall, 71st Flying Training Wing inspector general. "The success of each of these activities is a direct result of countless individuals and the dedication they've shown."
Colonel Hnatiuk said he was very thankful to Vance for the team's reception. "It was a wonderful reception. The quicker the team gets settled, the more efficiently we can do our job. So thank you to those members of Team Vance who volunteered on Sunday to help ensure the team got off to a fast start."
Team Vance's preparation and training shouldn't end yet, said Maj. Steve Mollick, Team Vance ORI Preparation Center director. "While, with the exception of the chapel, the 'inspecting' is over at close of business today, the inspection continues until the IG team makes their final departure Tuesday. Let's continue to demonstrate the superior Team Vance spirit through the weekend and into the IG outbriefs on Tuesday. Even after that, keep the momentum going. Remember, mission focus -- day in and day out."