Wing undergoes two major inspections

Published June 17, 2010
By Senior Airman Clay Murray
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affars

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Spangdahlem Airmen will be taking part in two major inspections now through July 2 to test their deployment capabilities and ability to survive in a chemical, biological and nuclear environment.

The first half will be a U.S. Air Forces in Europe Phase I Operational Readiness Inspection and the second a NATO Force Evaluation.

The ORI is focused on generating and deploying people and assets and the Force Evaluation is aimed at the ability to survive and operate and administer self-aid and buddy care.

"The first week we pack up and get out of town, and the second week we fight the war from a simulated deployed location," said Maj. Sean Cosden, 52nd Fighter Wing deputy chief of wing inspections. "During the first week, USAFE personnel inspect us at an Air Force level while during the second week, evaluators from NATO evaluate how we fit in the NATO structure and fight with all our NATO allies."

Inspectors will be taking a close look at many of the wing's operations during the inspections, Major Cosden said. They will be here to validate how well Sabers accomplish the mission on many different levels.

"Part of (the Phase I) is preparing our people, our cargo and aircraft to get out of town," Major Cosden said. "We'll ship a lot of our people and cargo on simulated aircraft, while a bunch of pilots will actually fly the aircraft to the simulated deployed location. Part of that will be protecting the base locally, so you'll even see heightened security measures around the base."

The second inspection, oriented more around war-fighting capabilities, is accomplished by NATO evaluators and begins immediately after the USAFE Phase I ends.

"We've marked off a portion of the base that is a tactical area of responsibility," Major Cosden said. "It is a simulated deployed base, and the majority of what happens during the force eval takes place inside this TAOR. What we'll be doing there is fixing the aircraft, turning them to combat sorties and protecting the air base not only from physical threats of simulated terrorists and intruders, but also from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons."

Ultimately, the inspections are carried out to verify that the wing and its Airmen, aircraft and units can meet the demands of the military and its allies. These two inspections will show that Spangdahlem can support the missions of USAFE, the USAF and NATO, Major Cosden said.

"From a USAFE standpoint, the Phase I is to prove that this base is capable and can go above and beyond USAFE's requirements to pick up, and within 72 hours, not only get all our equipment, all our people and our jets out of town, but start deploying combat sorties at a deployed location," he said. "The goal of the force eval is similar; it's to prove to and be validated by NATO that we are more than capable to go and do any mission that they ask us to do within a NATO structure."

Base operations will be different than normal, as inspections warrant situations on the base that are not typical of daily operations. Due to the involvement of Airmen and assets across the wing in the inspections, there will be some adjustments to typical daily operations and base services.

"We'll see heightened security measures," Major Cosden said. "A lot of services around base will be slower or closed, as this is our main focus this week. The loud explosions, the sirens and everything else may extend through the middle of the night. You'll see people running around wearing gear you don't see on a daily basis, but it's all based on the inspection.

"From an off-base standpoint the other thing you'll see during the NATO force eval is a lot of different uniforms walking around on- and off- base."

To prepare for the inspections, the 52nd FW has conducted 10 Phase I and II exercises involving scenarios similar to those Airmen will be tested on during the inspections.