Buckley CC: ORI season is upon us Published Dec. 28, 2009 By Col. Clint Crosier 460th Space Wing Commander BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Operational Readiness Inspection is coming to Buckley soon, and everyone on base will be either directly or indirectly involved. Although we haven't yet been notified of specific dates for the ORI, we can most likely expect the inspection in February or March. The Inspector General team charged with evaluating the base is certain to throw a variety of scenarios at us to test our responses, our attention to detail and our sense of urgency. They take it seriously and we need to as well. And, in saying we, I include our retirees, family members and tenant units alongside the men and women of the 460th Space Wing. This inspection will measure and test our mission capability and readiness. We are a base community and will all be subject to participation in the exercise. We can expect delays and even some inconvenience as we cordon off areas, change force protection levels and demonstrate our ability to overcome the obstacles of each scenario. All high traffic areas to include the gates, the medical group, the base exchange, the commissary, the fitness center, the child development centers, the chapel and other locations are in play. Customer service is important to the elements of our base that provide it, but we're all in the same boat and I'm asking the base community as a whole to paddle forward together. We are a top notch base and we can show the inspectors that we can be patient if an area on base has restricted access or egress, demonstrate that sense of urgency I mentioned, and follow the direction of those in charge of the situation at hand. Pay close attention to your surroundings and don't ignore threats, suspicious packages, injured persons, security forces personnel, or any other scenario or situation whether real or staged. Our behavior during an exercise must reflect our behavior during real world events. If you find yourself traveling to lunch and come across a situation that appears to be staged, stop to take appropriate action as you would if the event was real. The hassle, inconveniences and delays are all for a reason. Preparing for and demonstrating our abilities to overcome obstacles as a team in a safe, timely and appropriate manner sends the message we want to send to the IG. More importantly, it shows that we have the ability to keep our imperative mission going no matter the circumstance, and that speaks volumes about who Buckley is as a base and as a community. I expect us to work together and be patient and understanding if an exercise, an inspection or even a real world incident is taking place. We all have our places to go and our things to do, but during an exercise, an inspection or a real world situation, those things have to wait until the situation is resolved. Buckley wouldn't be what it is without our entire base community and if we work together, we can demonstrate the highest levels of mission capability and readiness. Thank you for your hard work to show the IG team that Team Buckley is ready for anything.