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Show k October 4, 2001 Readiness exercise tests unit's ability to mobilize went essentially as we expected. While many of our folks had the necessary items, we've still got some work to do where mobility folders are concerned." Specifically, several reservists had problems with their DD Form 93 and Emergency Data Notification needed various immunizations in order to get their shot records current. . In addition, a number of 419th members lacked documentation that gas by Capt James R. Wilson masks had been fitted and inspected 419th FW Public Affairs Office before processing. Exercise evaluators intend to share these observations with masks. Mobility bags. Shot records. Dog unit commanders in hopes of resolving An Airman's Manual and ATSO Guide. such discrepancies before the next ORE. were just a few of the items 419th These findings did not overshadow the Fighter Wing members needed in order to avoid the fact that more than 550 members of the at held scrutiny of cvaluators during a readiness exercise unit "deployed" and 97 short tons of Hill Air Force Base Sept. cargo was processed as part of the Officially dubbed a Phase I Operational Readiness exercise. Exercise, the drill allows wing officials to assess the "We've experienced a large turnover unit's capability to generate people, equipment and in our cargo workers recently, yet we had aircraft for deployment. "For this particular exercise, we were just looking to very few problems with the cargo processing," said Master Sgt. Debra get a pulse of the w ing." said Maj. Michael Cutter. 419th Siegel, 419th Plans Superintendent. Operations Support Flight and chief evaluator for the "None of our processes were stressed, exercise. "It's been a while- since our last mobility and all of the necessary paperwork and More than a rust. we little so exercise, expected was in place. It was a documentation where out find wanted to the evaluators anything, just real testament to the folks involved in we stand as a wing so that we know what areas to concentrate on for improvement." packing and loading the cargo." Photo by Capt. James R. Wilson As a general rule, an ORE can be divided into four Anyone who might question the need a readiness exercise only need look at of and initial areas: deployment, Tech. Sgt Stan Carl, 466th Fighter Squadron, transports weapons cleaning kits during a response major world events. recent survive and combat and to I 419th The recent Phase Operational Readiness Exercise. operate employment, ability Fighter Wing processed roughly "Mobility exercises allow us to train exercise. 97 short tons of cargo throughout the three-da-y response. This exercise differed from a typical Phase I in that it people to prepare to deploy," said Sergeant far said refocus "It before to too our attention and learn the skills that are aircraft or did not include sortie generation, deployment along," Siegel. helps key processes very closely getting on individuals' we to "In were focused out town.'" this of the Cutter. aircraft the as scenario. case, of necessary By removing Major 'get part regeneration "In light of recent events, our people need to know that from the equation, officials had more time to assess the wing mobility folders, sliot records, pallet build up and processing." How did the wing fare? readiness, both personal and unit, is absolutely critical to our during the initial response and deployment portions of the "One of the areas we excelled in was palletizing and ability to accomplishing our mission." ORE. The next Phase I ORE is scheduled for October 2002. "The consensus was that we needed to look at a few of our processing equipment," said Major Cutter. "The mobility line Officials say necessary in order to "get pulse" of wing ORE Gas 7-- 9. - says 'all's quiet' on employer front following mobilization of reserve forces ESGR Ombudsman by Gerry J. Gllmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON Employers of National Guard and Reserve members are ready to support employees called to active duty for the fight against terrorism, said an official of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. "Employers from across the country are asking what they can do to help," Army Lt. Col. Jess Soto, director of ombudsman services at committee headquarters in Arlington, Va., said Sept. 16. Colonel Soto said employers' major concerns seem to be what happens when their employees are called up and what kind of benefits they must provide while guardsmen and reservists are deployed and when they return. A liaison between reserve component members and their civilian employers, the 1 01 committee has a headquarters staff and about 4,500 volunteers nationwide and in U.S. territories, he said. "We get calls from either employers or Guard or Reserve members," he said, "usually related to either an issue or a conflict directly related to civilian employment and military duty." Under the federal Uniformed Services Rights Act Employment and of 1994, Colonel Soto said, Guard and Reserve members can perform military duty for up to a accumulative limit and receive job reinstatement when they return. Yet, the law protects both deployed Guard and Reserve troops and their employers. He a USERRA called "workable accommodation." While reserve service members enjoy job protection, the job they pick up upon return might not necessarily be the exact same job they left, he added. The law protects members five-ye- ar Critical Days end James , case-by-ca- se full-tim- Good work to resolve issues in those areas that are critical to our mission but present inherent 419th FW Public Affairs Office risks to our people." While the 419th enjoyed a relatively safe year's 101 Critical Days of year overall, the numbers were not so good for proved relatively safe for the Air Force as a whole. Ground mishaps this of the 419th Fighter Wing. year claimed 56 lives which translated into d almost a two percent increase from the The wing suffered seven incidents between the Memorial Day and previous year. Eight of the members involved Labor Day weekend all minor in nature. The in those accidents were not wearing seat belts flight safety program for the wing remained and nine of the incidents were alcohol related. The Air Force entered its solid although there were summer two reportable mishaps for annual safety with the fiscal year. its worst off on and campaign "Safety duty While the goal for the performance since an is process. ongoing g an is incident to have lost 37 airmen wing However, I think these because of ground mishaps. free flying record, pilots and maintainers still managed to numbers show that Maj. Gen. Timothy Peppe, Air Force Chief of Safety, safely log more than 4120 safety awareness has attributes hours over the course of the this trend to a an become important . 12 y months. increase in sharp past way we do business in motor vehicle deaths. The "Safety on and off duty is an ongoing process," said primary causes continue to the 419th." Lt. Col. J.D. Erwin, 419th be drinking while driving, FW Chief of Safety. not seatbelts, wearing -- Lt Col. J.D. Erwin for excessive "However, I think these speed 41 9th FW Chief of Safety numbers show that safety conditions and violations of awareness has become an traffic laws. "I know commanders important part of how we do business in the 419th." throughout the service are Colonel Erwin did note a somewhat aggressively working this issue," said General disturbing trend that has developed in recent Peppe. "We must continue to educate four months concerning workplace injuries. Safety folks through all available means, including records indicate the wing recorded 20 commander's calls, briefings incidents where members suffered minor and interaction at all levels. A from the 13 logged this time last review of defensive driving techniques could injuries-u- p also be useful as some of our folks were year. Safety representatives feel that part of the caught up in other people's bad actions." solution to this problem lies in risk Nineteen of the 56 fatalities that occurred this management. year took place during the "Critical Days" "There's always room for improvement campaign. where safety is concerned," said Colonel Accidents resulting from sports and Erwin. "A lot of these situations can be recreation are activities, however, avoided by slowing down and assessing the significantly down from previous years, with task at hand before diving into the job. In a four fatalities to date. (Air Force News Service nutshell, we all need to identify hazards and contributed to this article) by Capt. from financial loss due to their military service and states they must be paid the same salary they had at the time they left. In turn, USERRA requires military members to provide employers the earliest notice possible of military duty, in order to mitigate worksite disruption, Colonel Soto said. Employers can ask commanders to temporarily defer employees for later duty on a basis, he .noted. But the final decision, he added, rests with military authorities. "If you are a small business operation, a call-u- p can affect you more," Colonel Soto acknowledged. Most employers, regardless of e or size, he noted, hire either temporary workers to replace employees who depart for military duty. Colonel Soto said employers have been generally calm since President Bush's Sept. 14 order to partially mobilize Guard and Reserve forces in response to Sept. terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. "No one is panicking," Colonel Soto said of the employers. "The $64,000 question is, at what point does military duty become so overwhelming that it impacts too greatly on civilian business and enterprise?" At this point, nobody knows the answer to that question, Colonel Soto said. The employer support committee was established in 1972. The Department of Labor has oversight authority for USERRA, Colonel Soto said, adding that DoD was designated to disseminate information about the law. The he said, falls under the committee, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. For more information on USERRA and on the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, visit the committee Web site at http:esgr.org. 1 1 e-N- eff R. Wilson This work-relate- er 1997-havin- off-dut- on-du- ty j :;;. I I ; 1 iai-H- ..... . ,V .r Staff Sgt. Benjamin , Neff, 419th Combat - Logistics Support Squadron, grinds a leading edge patch during an aircraft battle damage repair exercise during the Unit September pre-depart- one-on-o- ne Training Assembly. CLSS 419th members also honed their war-fightin- g skills by performing mm. urin ran.. their mission in a simulated chemical and biological . . Photo by Capt. James R. Wilson environment. |