Operational Readiness, be ready! Published Oct. 6, 2011 By Col. Jay Pittman 302nd Airlift Wing, Commander PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- After four Operational Readiness Training Periods, several sessions of station training each UTA and significant individual preparations, we are well on our way to the Wing's Operational Readiness Inspection scheduled for October of 2012. Our next major event in the ORI preparation cycle is the Operational Readiness Exercise scheduled for June of 2012. Almost all of our "Operational Readiness" training should be complete, and the learning curve for our Wing members should now be nearly flat. Next comes June's ORE where we will be demonstrating to our evaluators we have the ability to survive and operate in a hostile environment. We need to go into the ORE with the mindset that it is our "dress rehearsal" for the ORI. The ORE is not meant to be a learning experience in a training environment, but rather, it is an opportunity to experience an event as close as possible to the actual ORI. Please continue refining your skills and working on areas that were identified for improvement during ORTP4 in the next six to nine months. Please continue working within your units and shops to ensure everyone on our team is ready. There is a lot going on in the Wing. An active aerial firefighting season, several Air Expeditionary Force deployments and ORI preparations in addition to our day-to-day training makes this an extremely busy time. Please keep safety in the forefront in all of your activities and remember to plan work and activities with operational risk management in mind. Please be a Wingman to those around you. Remember the acronym ACE -- Ask, Care and Escort. If you see someone appearing to have difficulty, ask them. Show care and intervene if warranted. Escort or guide your fellow Airman to a chaplain or another healthcare professional if he or she needs help. It is important we take care of one another especially when we see signs of stress. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and flexibility. An ORI and its preparation is an immense undertaking. I appreciate all that you are doing.