Practice makes perfect

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Robert P. Steel
  • 48th Fighter Wing commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  To be honest, school didn't always come easy to me--I had to work for my good grades. Understanding subject-verb agreement, learning algebra formulas and memorizing history dates all required concentration and preparation.

I knew my weaknesses; to make up for them I practiced and studied whenever I could. When the day of a big test came, I was prepared for whatever my teachers or professors would throw my way.

Much like studying for school exams, the Liberty wing is preparing for a big test--next week's operational readiness exercise. Kicking off today, and running through Dec.8, I know most squadrons have been checking files, testing equipment and reviewing processes. I am confident we will do well in this test of our operational knowledge and capabilities.

I encourage each of you, within your units, to conduct one more study session. Supervisors and section chiefs, have your troops do a buddy check on a coworker's mobility bag. Conduct an internal tabletop exercise or review your processes as a refresher. Locate and look through your Airmen's Manual. Display a sense of urgency, double check your mobility requirements if you're tasked to deploy during this exercise, and be the awesome warriors I know you are!

Areas to focus on in this ORE include command and control, employment readiness, information operations, deployment processing and force protection. Some common, core areas our Exercise Evaluation Team members will look for include identifying threats, keeping safety at the fore front, ensuring physical and information security, and assessing operational risk and emergency management.

There is nothing new on the test, folks. We have all been trained on these issues and should be ready to rock 'n roll. An ORE is an excellent opportunity for us to flex our muscles and identify any weak areas we need to focus on before taking our final exam next year - a U.S Air Forces in Europe inspection.

Warriors, its time to study and make the grade--practice makes perfect.