The 148th scores high in Readiness Inspection

DULUTH, Minn. -- After months of practice, preparation, sweat and hard work, the 148th Fighter Wing earned an "Excellent" grade on their ability to perform wartime operations in a forward deployed environment during a Readiness Inspection (RI).

"You guys hit it out of the ballpark," said Col. Frank H. Stokes, 148th Fighter Wing Commander. "Brig. Gen. Sequin said to me 'the motivation, attitudes and ability to do their job that I see in every one of your Airmen is phenomenal. I pray that your performance lives up to that,' and it did."

The 148th Fighter Wing underwent an RI Aug. 22-24, 2013, which gave the Air Combat Command's Inspector General a hands-on chance to evaluate the Bulldogs' ability to operate in combat scenarios.

The IG team chief, Col. Craig Leavitt, made a point of mentioning "we gave you challenging scenarios and actually cranked it up a bit because we thought you could handle it and you did" in his out brief Aug. 27, 2013.

"From the minute we arrived here we recognized the pride, sense of urgency and job knowledge you all have and it carried through the entire inspection," said Col. Leavitt. "The 148th is ready to do anything and everything that the state and country asks them to do."

The inspection team evaluated the 148th Fighter Wing in positioning the force, employing the force, sustaining the force and the ability to survive and operate.

Throughout the RI, the Bulldogs generated 10 aircraft, flew 58 sorties and overcame numerous scenarios, ranging from chemical and conventional attacks, to navigating and utilizing simulated contaminated equipment, and coping with casualties among their Wingmen.

Inspection grades range from Unsatisfactory to Outstanding; a grade of Satisfactory is what is required to ensure a unit is combat-ready.

"The performance we saw here was nothing short of outstanding," said Col. Steven Wabrowetz, 148th Fighter Wing Maintenance Commander. "These results are thanks to a tremendous effort from the 1,000-plus people in this unit. A huge thanks goes out to each and every one of you."

The 148th Airmen completed four Readiness Exercises in preparation for the RI and continued to show their dedication by working 12-14 hour days to ensure tasks were completed quickly and accurately.

Twenty-two teams and 30 Airmen were recognized as superior performers in the inspection, nine inspector general team coins were awarded and one Air Combat Command Inspector General coin was awarded.

"An excellent is something we are going to brag about," said Stokes. "Congratulations to you all, you have cemented our outstanding reputation. I couldn't be more proud."