Ellsworth completes Phase II ORE

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abigail Klein
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Ellsworth concluded its Badlands Express Phase II Operational Readiness Exercise Oct.7, and exercise officials expressed their satisfaction with the results.

According to Maj. Brian Ignotowicz, 28th Bomb Wing Plans and Programs chief of wing plans, the wing met its objectives and accomplished the desired result of reinvigorating the Phase II Exercise Plan, while demonstrating its ability to fight and survive in a deployed chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives environment.

"Exercises provide us with a valuable training opportunity to practice our war fighting capabilities," Major Ignotowicz said. "For this exercise, we involved the entire wing and focused on instruction for new Ellsworth Airmen who may have been unfamiliar with a Phase II exercise and increased attention to combat control capabilities."

In addition to improving Airmen's war fighting tactics, the exercise readdressed the importance of procedures expected within a deployed environment.

This was the first Phase II ORE at Ellsworth since 2006. Unlike past Phase II OREs, this exercise truly set the stage for the upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection, said Major Ignotowicz.

"Because it has been three years since the last Phase II, the exercise was set up as more a learning environment for the Airmen who have never performed in one, and for the Airmen who haven't since the 2006 exercise," said Major Ignotowicz.

Due to the length of time between the previous Phase II ORE and the most recent, the wing plans to implement approximately four to five more OREs before the ORI slated for October 2010.

"Success in the upcoming ORI depends entirely on a team effort spanning the entire wing," said Col. Jeffrey Taliaferro, 28th Bomb Wing commander. "The amount of training and preparation involved in this process is incredible and we want the most fully trained and experienced Airmen we can possibly have going in to the ORI."

As for how Ellsworth will do in the exercise, results from the Phase II ORE have proved to be encouraging.

"We're on the right path," said Colonel Taliaferro. "Overall attitudes are positive, and Airmen and their evaluators are learning from this first exercise."