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    Wing completes Agile Sabre exercise

    Members of the 403rd Wing conduct Exercise Agile Sabre

    Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Monteleone | An aircrew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron taxis out for a flight during...... read more read more

    KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS, UNITED STATES

    01.15.2016

    Story by Maj. Marnee Losurdo 

    403rd Wing

    KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- More than 200 wing members participated in a training and deployment exercise called Agile Sabre Jan. 11-15.

    Airmen tasked for the exercise partook in Self Aid and Buddy Care and Ability to Survive and Operate training during the first half of the week. SABC consisted of basic life support and limb-saving techniques to help injured personnel survive until medical help arrives while the ATSO training focused on familiarizing Airmen on how to don and appropriately wear Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, which protects Airmen in a toxic environment.

    On Jan. 14 Airmen participated in a day-long scenario where they were deployed to Southwest Asia and responded to various events.

    "The wing commander's main objective for the exercise was to knock the dust off some of our processes by developing a fully-integrated exercise that involved most of the organizations in the wing," Lt. Col. Allyson Chauvin, 403d Wing Director of Inspections. "We have a responsibility at wing level now, under the current Air Force Inspection System, to figure out a way to self-evaluate our own readiness as a wing. This exercise is one way of doing that."

    According to AFI 90-201, the Air Force Inspection system is meant to replace major operational readiness and compliance evaluations, such as OREs and ORIs, and do away with units 'ramping up' for inspections, said Chauvin.

    The upcoming unit effectiveness inspection system is designed to foster a culture of critical self-assessment and continuous improvement, providing a "photo album" versus a "snapshot" view of wing effectiveness.

    Staff Sgt. Ashely Bever, 403d Force Support Squadron commander support staff and unit deployment manager, said she found the exercise beneficial.

    "I learned a lot, especially about the different sections and units that I don't normally work with," she said. "The exercise required a lot of preparation leading up to the actual event to appropriately prepare the people who deployed as part of the exercise. It required a lot of communication, and I was exposed to processes, such as palletizing a unit type code, that I do not do on a regular basis."

    Wing Inspection Team member and 403d Chief of Education and Training Senior Master Sgt. Brett Blanchard said the exercise accomplished what it was supposed to do: "knock the dust off."

    "It's been a long time since we've had an exercise, and this was a great way to better prepare us for future exercises as well as real world deployments."

    It was mission accomplished for Col. Frank L. Amodeo, 403d Wing Commander, who said he considered the exercise a success.

    "We named the exercise Agile Sabre as a way to practically connect our wing to Air Force Strategy, said the colonel. "Sabre represents the 403d Wing. Being agile is how our Air Force is called to the future. That word appears 81 times throughout the latest 65-page USAF Strategic Master Plan. We will continue to challenge our Airmen locally to adapt to different, changing and unique situations. Our Airmen will be prepared for the challenges ahead."

    The colonel said the wing should prepare itself for a more extensive exercise next year.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.15.2016
    Date Posted: 11.22.2016 11:07
    Story ID: 215563
    Location: KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS, US

    Web Views: 39
    Downloads: 0

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