ORI Review and Fitness Focus! Published April 1, 2010 By Col. Gary Goldstone 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Wow! It's been an incredible week for executing our wartime mission during an intense Operational Readiness Inspection! We have "closed" and safely accomplished our mission and I am so very proud of our great men and women. Our teams began deploying March 22 and returned this past weekend from Volk Field Combat Readiness and Training Center, Wis., where the Air Mobility Command Inspector General team evaluated our ability to position our forces during the initial deployment response, mission support, employment of our forces and the ability to survive and operate in a wartime scenario. I know that our team, as well as our ORI partners--the 133rd Airlift Wing from Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 94th Aerial Port Squadron from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the 156th Airlift Wing from the Puerto Rico National Guard--maintained a sharp focus on safe mission accomplishment! While we await our formal outbrief, please allow me to say THANKS! Everyone has endured an arduous training and equipping journey to create the conditions for total success. The IG will release their findings during a mass outbrief to the wing on Friday, 2 April in Hangar 1. All wing personnel should attend to hear the results. We have been successful and I truly believe that your efforts will be richly rewarded with an appropriate ORI grade! Our team has demonstrated the ability and readiness to execute our combat-enabling mission anytime, anywhere! I certainly witnessed OUTSTANDING attitudes and performance as we worked through this process. Again, many thanks to you for your hard work and dedication. I look forward to hearing more about the mission you performed and recognizing you for your professionalism and expertise. In order to maintain our ability to Enable Combat Power, we must redouble our efforts in the Fitness arena. A fit force is a mission multiplier and enhancer. Fit Airmen ensure the ability to deploy and perform wartime missions 24/7/365. The 375th Air Mobility Wing's goal is to have zero failures! Our Fitness Program champions healthy lifestyles and must have buy-in at all levels of our team. Every Airman must have the physical ability and confidence to pass the fitness test on any given day. AMC has already begun to administer new fitness assessments through Fitness Assessment Cells. The initial feedback has highlighted a number of areas to concentrate on to ensure a passing score such as the importance of proper push-ups and sit-ups. In addition, AMC has noted a high percentage of run time and waist measurement failures. We must all note that the allowable run times have decreased and waist measurements have become critically important in an overall passing score. Therefore a proper diet and exercise regimen is a must. Some of our units are doing great with mandatory workouts and I applaud your efforts. However, realize that these workouts may not be enough for certain individuals to achieve a passing score. To help each of us achieve success, our HAWC has excellent programs that I encourage you to take advantage of to help you achieve success. Our professional HAWC team can help you achieve your fitness goals. We must develop a mindset within our team to be fit for life! I ask that you carefully review the fitness requirements and create a plan for success now. We will do what we can to encourage a healthy lifestyle, but it is still up to individuals to be in compliance. Remember, it's not just to pass a test! It's to be a fit force so we can execute our mission and be there when our nation calls upon us to Enable Combat Power!