In
August, the 108th Air Refueling Wing received an excellent rating on the
initial response portion of their Expeditionary Operational Readiness
Inspection (EORI).
"We also received high marks for the can-do attitude of our people and their strong sense of teamwork," noted Lt. Col. Peter Smoley, 108th Wing Chief of Staff.
The evaluators, who came from the Air Mobility Command’s Inspector General’s office, also noted in their report that “unit personnel consistently observed safety procedures throughout the inspection.”
The inspection, which ran from Aug. 16 through 20, tested the wing’s ability to maintain its mission commitments at two separate locations while measuring the unit’s capability to prepare and deploy people and cargo. "We were evaluated on our ability to respond to higher headquarters tasking, and to move our people and cargo to an overseas location, within a specified time limit," stated Lt. Col. Smoley. This year’s inspection occurred in conjunction with the wing's deployment to OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH in Turkey.
EORI’s are held every five years and are required for all Air Guard units in order to remain worldwide deployable. The last time the wing had an inspection, it got an outstanding rating. Since the 1996 inspection, there have been some changes in the evaluation method. The new system combines a series of separate inspections to evaluate a unit’s ability to perform the different aspects of its mission. "In February we will be evaluated on our ability to support the nation’s nuclear defense plan - a long-standing mission for the 108th's tankers," concluded Lt. Col. Smoley.