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Colonel dresses to impress at change of command

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  It was an atypical assumption of command for the 512th Mission Support Group at the Landings March 6.

Usually a formal affair symbolizing the passing of responsibility and authority to the new commander, this ceremony broke away from tradition in favor of operational readiness.

Lt. Col. Gretchen M. Wiltse took command of the 512th MSG not in the traditional attire of the service dress uniform but in Mission Oriented Protective Posture, commonly referred to as MOPP gear.

The protective gear consists of a mask, suit, boots and gloves and is worn by servicemembers during a chemical, biological or radiological incident, said Colonel Wiltse. There are five MOPP levels, 0-4. The assumption of command took place in MOPP 4, which means all protective gear was worn.

"My goal was to set the stage for the 512th Airlift Wing's preparation for ORI in December and to demonstrate that we are serious about this," said Colonel Wiltse, who, along with 240 other reservists, will work in MOPP gear during the week-long inspection.

The ORI will be a joint operation between the Air Force Reserve's 512th AW and active-duty's 436th AW. ORIs are conducted to evaluate and measure the ability of a unit to perform in wartime and during a contingency or a force sustainment mission, according to Air Force Instruction 90-201, Inspector General Activities.

"The best way to prepare for the ORI is to practice what we'll be doing, and this assumption of command was a way to encourage folks to get out their gear and get comfortable wearing it," said Col. Randal L. Bright, 512th AW commander and presiding officer for the ceremony.

While the commanders put their chemical ensembles aside after the ceremony, it's only a temporary respite as Colonels Bright and Wiltse along with other ORI players will wear the gear frequently in the upcoming year as they prepare for the ORI. The 512th AW and 436th AW received an excellent on their last ORI in 2008. This achievement is something both colonels said they hope to repeat at the end of the year.