Gulf of Mexico, USA – There are reports today on the Internet that a mass evacuation of Gulf Coast residents may be coming, as soon as June 15.
Readiness exercises conducted at the end of May 2010
According to a June 3, 2010 press release on the U.S. North Command web site, “three units representing each component of the Air Force made history in Gulfport, Mississippi, on May 16 – 23, 2010, when they successfully completed the first homeland defense operational readiness inspection.
The release reads: ”For the very first time, the U.S. Air Force has validated a unit’s wartime capability to defend the homeland by fighting an enemy right here on U.S. soil,” said Col. Greg Nelson, the commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing, which served as the lead organization for the ORI.
“That represents a major shift in the way Air Force (leaders evaluate) unit readiness, because it puts the focus in our own backyard, rather than a simulated overseas location where these evaluations are usually staged,” he said.
The inspection was a total force effort, with the 123rd Airlift Wing representing the Air National Guard; the 317th Airlift Group from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, providing active-duty forces; and the 70th Aerial Port Squadron from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., contributing Air Force Reserve members and equipment.
As with traditional ORIs, this one tested the ability of each unit to mobilize Airmen and equipment, fly to a remote site, operate in a hostile environment, defend against enemy attacks, and redeploy back home, all while AMC inspectors evaluated every phase of the operation.
Unlike traditional ORIs, in this one the participants were tasked with supporting civil authorities while fighting an unconventional foe in the United States. In the past, ORIs have typically required units to deploy to simulated overseas bases and defend against conventional military forces.”
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