Air Guard Units Ace Air Force Inspections
Months After OIF/OEF Deployments

As military units return from the rigors of war, one might feel that a unit deserves a little down time to rest and regroup. Not so for two Georgia Air Guard units who returned from their Middle East deployment to face critical Air Force inspectors, and what inspectors found were icons of performance excellence tested by the crucible of war.

Savannah’s 165th Airlift recently completed an operational readiness inspection conducted in November by the Air Mobility Command's Inspector General and scored an overall “Excellent”. Across town at Hunter Army Airfield, the 117th Air Control Squadron also captured an overall “Excellent” on a recent Standardization/Evaluation Inspection conducted by 8th Air Force examiners.

After four years of near constant deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the 165th Airlift Wing underwent a crucial Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) to validate their ability to survive and operate in a combat zone. Testing every aspect of the Wing’s technical capabilities, Inspectors graded the unit as “Excellent.”

“I am extremely proud of our men and women who allowed this requirement to be completed and with a strong result,” said Colonel Tom Moore, Commander of the 165th Airlift Wing and the inspection’s overall commander. “The inspections prove once again, what we knew already, the Georgia Air National Guard and specifically the 165th Airlift Wing is ready to defend our nation anytime, anywhere.”

According to Master Sergeant Holly Harris, the exercise was successful because of the strong teamwork of the 300 airmen who participated. “We all worked together to insure that we gave our commanders a victory and showed the inspectors that we were highly capable.” Master Sgt. Harris worked in the Command Post during the exercise.

Georgia’s 117th Air Control Squadron, only six months back from its deployment to Iraq where its members controlled the massive Iraqi airspace, captured an “Excellent” on it’s recent Standardization/Evaluation Inspection conducted by the 8th Air Force. Validation of the unit’s overall mission readiness was the purpose of Stan/Eval conducted at the unit’s Hunter Army Airfield location.

Especially noteworthy were the “Operations Performance" criteria which garnered an "Excellent" rating. The 8th Air Force team specifically recognized three unit members as “Superior Performers” during the evaluations. They were Maj. Jeff Burdett, Master Sgt. Pat Sullivan, and Lt. Col. Byron King for conducting an exemplary Stan/Eval program.

"The 117th's airmen are absolutely the best,” said Lt. Col. Joe Ferrero, 117th ACS Commander. “After controlling 20,000 missions in Iraq while under fire, they returned home and immediately prepared for this critical inspection. The 'Excellent' rating says it all for their dedication, hard work, and performance."