Airmen across Scott provide behind the scenes support for the Operational Readiness Inspection Published Feb. 24, 2010 By Senior Airman Andrew Davis 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Many think of a deploying force and imagine security forces, civil engineers and medical personnel. But there's also a group of Airmen who work behind the scenes to provide trusted counsel to leadership. While each staff agency serves a unique purpose, their overall goal is to provide feedback and support to the commander. During the Operational Readiness Inspection, Airmen will be tested on many situations that can occur in real-world environments. The ORI will also showcase Airmen's expertise in their respective fields. Two staff agencies providing counsel for the ORI are the offices of the Judge Advocate and Chaplain. Legal issues can arise in nearly every decision that a commander can make, and JA provides legal guidance to the commander for each of those situations. Issues that a commander could encounter "include not only military justice and operations law (the Law of Armed Conflict and the Rules of Engagement), but also environmental issues, contracting, fiscal law, international law, ethics, claims, and basic legal assistance," said Senior Airman Kristin Pratt, 375th Air Mobility Wing general law paralegal. As a paralegal, Airman Pratt provides assistance and support to the deployed attorney. "In addition to preparing legal documents, it's common for paralegals to assist in researching issues, interviewing witnesses, notarizing legal documents, attending meetings in the Emergency Operations Center, and delivering legal briefings," she said. The Chaplain's office ensures each Airman is given proper spiritual counseling and also provides reports about general unit morale to the commander. Ch. (Capt.) Michael Carey said, "A person's spiritual life is key to their resiliency as a warfighter. I ensure that peoples' spiritual lives are not neglected in the battlespace and provide the commander with feedback about the wing's morale." Providing the free exercise of religion in a deployed environment is a Chaplain's main job, and is accomplished through a number of avenues. "In a deployed location I provide worship services, pastoral counseling, religious accommodation and unit visitation. I also respond to incidents on base that may affect an Airman on a spiritual or emotional level, such as a family crisis back home, sexual assault, conscientious objectors, mortar attacks and deaths in the unit," said Chaplain Carey. Every Airman must operate under all conditions to accomplish the mission. Airman Pratt said, "It is a challenge to be able to accomplish non-judicial punishment or court-martial documents in hard copy without computers and do so in a chemical environment." Just as security forces personnel bring weapons and maintainers bring tools, each of these staff agencies bring equipment unique to them. "Legal, like all units, must be able to provide the same support in a deployed location that we provide at our home station," said Airman Pratt. "We must have computers, radios, Air Force Instructions, legal manuals, the Manual for Courts-Martial, copies of international agreements, copies of orders in effect, CDs, notary logs and notary seal, and any hard copies of any common documents in case of power failure." In March these Airmen will join up with more than 800 Airmen from the 375th AMW, Minnesota Air National Guard's 133rd Airlift Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard's 156th Airlift Wing, 94th Aerial Port Squadron out of Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. and the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Civil Engineering Squadron to participate in the ORI.