Joint Base Andrews, Md. -- The 459th Air Refueling Wing participated in a Nuclear Operations Readiness Exercise here during the August Unit Training Assembly.
The exercise tested the wing’s capability to respond and react to a real-world nuclear threat and provided wing members the training required to fulfill the mission.
Chief Master Sgt. Bobby Robinson, superintendent of the 459th ARW Inspector General’s Inspections team, organized and supervised the inspection teams for the exercise. Robinson said these drills give the wing a chance to prove its capabilities.
“This is a way of ensuring that we can accomplish our part of the mission if anything were to happen that would require us to react quickly and protect the nation,” said Robinson.
The NORE consisted of several events that tested participants in areas that match Air Mobility Command’s objectives. The areas of inspection included maintaining aircraft, securing critical assets, processing personnel and cargo, responding to and launching alert aircraft, running command post operations, and many other critical tasks.
“The most important factor for us is to be able to generate our aircraft and to respond to a threat as quickly as possible,” Robinson noted.
The next step for the wing is to prepare for the official Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection by continuing to practice and exercise its skills. During the NORI, the AMC Inspector General team will formally evaluate key areas related to unit generation, mission support, safety, and defensive counter information.
“I see a lot of positive attitudes, especially for a group of people who haven’t had to perform this mission in two years and a few that have never been through this before,” Robinson expressed. “I’m confident that we will be able to perform this mission and will pass our inspection again."