2011 ORI: Your personal fight Published March 16, 2011 By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Edwards 22nd Air Refueling Wing command chief MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- For the past 26 years, I have learned to hold myself personally accountable for my responsibilities to the Air Force. Our core values, the enlisted force structure and Air Force Instructions define these responsibilities. Anything from completing a travel voucher, doing a task at work or packing your mobility bag requires you to hold yourself accountable. This is how each of us individually contributes to the mission. In the near future leading up to October, we will prepare for an Operational Readiness Inspection. During this time, we will need to adapt to changes as we learn how to perform wartime tasks. Personal accountability will ensure we individually do what we can to advance the wing's mission. It will require us to take a hard look at ourselves, and what we do to make sure we are doing it efficiently and effectively. This is what will allow us to showcase our skills and our teammates to the Air Mobility Command Inspector General. Last month, our wing held the first Operational Readiness Exercise of 2011. The successes of this exercise included the positive attitudes, sense of urgency and individual contributions of our Airmen. Each and every one of you made it your personal passion to advance the wing's mission. The proof of the personal accountability that you held yourself to, and your ability to adapt was evident in the outstanding improvements that were made over the course of that demanding week. The personal accountability of our "Ready Airmen" is the foundation of our success as Team McConnell, and it will continue to be our foundation as we head full speed into the ORI in October. It may be your personal fitness routine with our "Tanker Trotters," or the time you take to make sure your wingman is prepared for the day or making sure your gear and work area is ready for anything; but making it your personal mission to be a "Ready Airmen" is our key to success in the future. You make sure that we're able to maintain a "Ready Base." We're going to show off our "Ready Base" during the ORI. Our civil engineers will be able to display their fine work in all of our buildings; our services Airmen will be able to show off our dining hall and fitness facilities; and our security forces are going to ensure that our base is defended against any aggressor. Our "Ready Base" will show the great pride and personal accountability that each of us takes in maintaining our installation. Our "Ready Airmen" and "Ready Base" create the possibility to achieve our third pillar of "Ready Mobility." Team McConnell is going to take "Ready Mobility" to a new level when given the opportunity to show inspectors what we've got. This may mean personally accounting for your mobility folders, or even lending a helping hand in a mobility line. Taking this task on personally will lead to the execution of any mission, with a 100 percent reliability rate, with a 100 percent success rate, anytime, anywhere! You're going to display how your combined efforts equate to airplanes in the air, saving lives and protecting freedom everywhere in the world. I couldn't be more impressed with your personal level of dedication in preparing for our upcoming ORI. You've executed an Operational Readiness Evaluation, Joint Chiefs of Staff Exercise, and Major Accident Response Exercise without fail! It's evident that you're taking on the challenges ahead with vigor and precision. Thank you for your hard work that you do every day to keep our great nation safe. I'm proud to be your chief, and proud to be an Airman.