Amplified Readiness: Team Osan Revolutionizes the ORE

  • Published
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  From the outset, Beverly Midnight 15-01 was destined to not be just another exercise. Beginning March 1, and lasting through March 5, the operational readiness exercise aligned directly for the first time with Key Resolve, an annual command post exercise that ensures the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance is prepared to defend the ROK. This strategic-to-tactical integration helped the men and women of Team Osan implement guidance from higher headquarters into real-time exercise scenarios with limited simulations, all designed to increase readiness.

During the five-day ORE, Team Osan exercised in a number of new ways -- including receiving and generating aircraft at the same time, arming personnel across the wing, bedding down participants in Key Resolve, integrating deployed Airmen from various career fields; to include security forces, munitions, civil engineers and maintenance and practicing aeromedical evacuations on incoming C-130s -- all while laboring to make the exercise as realistic, and non-simulated as possible.

These innovative ways to prepare are in part brought about by the Commander's Inspection Program, which began in October 2014. The CIP tasks commanders to exercise their bases in the most effective way possible, leaving them better prepared to accomplish the mission. Before the CIP, inspections were done biannually with governance from the major command, now, the MAJCOM tasks wing commanders with using the methods them deem most effective at keeping their wings and bases prepared to execute their missions.

A key component of Team Osan's mission is to receive and sustain forces, which they practiced in BM 15-01. As always, once the simulated contingency began, the wing started generating sorties and aircraft, but additionally receiving incoming aircraft from other locations. Being able to effectively generate combat sorties, while receiving forces is a marquee readiness maneuver that actively portrays a real-world scenario.

Adding to the novelty of BM 15-01, the base tested maximum arming of Airmen, a necessary-to-test capability in the event of an emergency. Practicing acquiring, caring for, and returning arms is another revolutionary way that Team Osan builds its fight tonight readiness.

While participants in BM 15-01 were arming up, conjoining with Key Resolve led to the base practicing an innovative beddown technique: housing more than 200 incoming personnel in the base gymnasium. The 51st Force Support Squadron labored to adequately provide sleeping and living quarters for the Key Resolve participants, innovatively taking advantage of the spare space available in the gym.

The arming of forces served a dual-purpose for BM 15-01, not just testing capability, but integrating readiness by having opposition forces perform simulated attacks on multiple areas and squadrons. For BM 15-01, defense of the base didn't stop with the defenders, as multiple squadrons were required to fend off simulated attackers.

Finally, the base tested its real-world capabilities with practiced aeromedical evacuations involving incoming C-130 aircraft, a necessary component to maintaining readiness.

Team Osan, home to the most forward deployed, permanently based wing in the Air Force, has innovated, driven and integrated these ideas into the way it exercises to stay better prepared to guard freedom for 51 million people on the ROK.