Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Airlift Wing graded “Excellent” by Air Force for Operational Readiness Inspection

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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE --  Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing graded "Excellent" by Air Force for Operational Readiness Inspection

Names of 15 individual award winners listed below with rank, name, residence (city/state/zip code)

Contact: Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Matwey
Public Affairs Specialist, 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard
Cell 302-593-2126, or Office 302-323-3369
E-mail: Benjamin.Matwey@ang.af.mil
Release No. 2009-04-002, April 13, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE - On Friday the Airmen of the Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing received an overall grade of "Excellent" by the Air Mobility Command Inspector General team based on the wing's performance during their recently completed Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) held March 29 through April 5.

Cheers went up from over 200 Airmen in Headquarters, Delaware ANG as the grade was announced. They came to hear the Inspector General team out brief held Friday even though the base was officially closed. Present were many full-time unit members and dozens of part-time members who arrived at the air base in civilian clothing from their civilian jobs.

An Excellent is the second highest overall grade that can be given by the Air Mobility Command's Inspector General Team for this mandatory wartime readiness training. From highest to lowest, overall grades can be Outstanding, Excellent, Satisfactory, Marginal or Unsatisfactory.

This is the second overall grade of Excellent to be achieved by the Delaware ANG unit in an ORI, matching the highest overall grade of Excellent the unit received after the unit's last ORI in 1999. The previous ORI, in 1994, the unit received an overall grade of Satisfactory. AMC did not require the unit to undergo an ORI in 2004 because wartime missions after Sept. 11, 2001 and through the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 interrupted the normal ORI schedule.

The last major graded inspection of the 166th Airlift Wing was in 2006 for an Air Force Unit Compliance Inspection (UCI), when the wing received an overall grade of Satisfactory. In 2004 the wing underwent an Air Force Inspector General Exercise (IGX), but at that time the Air Force did not present overall grades to inspected units.

Colonel John P. Almind, the AMC Inspector General Team Chief who gave the out brief, said, "Congratulations on a job extremely well done. We came to validate your programs, processes compliance and your readiness. You came through with flying colors. You are more ready to go to war, you prepared hard [for this ORI] and you delivered. Airmen displayed a positive attitude, professionalism, a sense of urgency, and pride in yourself and their wing, particularly with ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Global War on Terrorism."
166th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Jonathan Groff said, "I am glad you [AMC Inspector General Team] have validated our ability to perform our wartime mission effectively. I am particularly pleased with our attitude and professionalism."

Colonel Almind also presented six team awards and 15 individual awards to the "Exceptional Performers" of the 166th Airlift Wing. The award documents are signed by AMC Inspector General Col. Jerry Martinez, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and by four-star AMC Commander General Arthur J. Litchte.

The six teams receiving TEAM RECOGNITION (team, with unit/units on team):

1. Aerial Port Operations Team, from the 166th Logistics Readiness Squadron

2. Ammunition Pallet Build-Up Team, from the 166th Maintenance Squadron and the 166th Security Forces Squadron

3. Maintenance Apollo Bunker Team, from the 166th Maintenance Squadron

4. Maintenance Apollo PAR (post-attack reconnaissance) Team, from the 166th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 166th Maintenance Squadron

5. Maintenance Readiness Preparation Team, from the 166th Maintenance Squadron

6. Maintenance Tent Boss Team, from the 166th Maintenance Group


Three Airmen were Inspector General COIN RECIPIENTS (rank, name, unit, residence):

1. Master Sgt. Malcolm Harward, 166th Maintenance Operations Squadron, resident of Colora, Md., zip 21917 

2. Master Sgt. James Knightly, 166th Civil Engineer Squadron, resident of Kennett Square, Pa. zip 19348 

3. Master Sgt. Charles Weber, 166th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, resident of Newark, Del., zip 19711


Twelve Airmen received Inspector General INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION (rank, name, unit, residence):

1. Lieutenant Colonel Phyllis Gigliotti, 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, resident of Lower Burrell, Pa., zip 15068 

2. Major Ben Meadows, 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, resident of Gap, Pa., zip 17527 

3. Captain Ira Crowe, 166th Logistics Readiness Squadron, resident of North East, Md., zip 21921 

4. Tech. Sgt. John Conway, 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, resident of Middletown, Del. zip 19709 

5. Tech. Sgt. Michael Goode, 166th Logistics Readiness Squadron, resident of Bear, Del. zip 19701 

6. Tech. Sgt. Csilla Hamuth, 166th Medical Group, resident of Philadelphia, Pa., zip 19136 

7. Tech. Sgt. Brooke Jacobs, 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, resident of Newark, Del. 19702 

8. Tech. Sgt. Samuel Lewis, 166th Logistics Readiness Squadron, resident of Wilmington, Del. zip 19806 

9. Staff Sgt. Justin Greenhow, 166th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, resident of West Chester, Pa., zip 19380 

10. Staff Sgt. Alonzo Perry, 166th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, resident of Annandale, Va., zip 22003 

11. Staff Sgt. Roger Smith, 166th Logistics Readiness Squadron, resident of Glen Burnie, Md., zip 21060 

12. Senior Airman Carmelino Seaton, 166th Medical Group, resident of Dover, Del. 19904

Delaware National Guard senior leadership attended the out brief, including Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, Adjutant General Delaware National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Hugh Broomall, Deputy Adjutant General, Delaware National Guard.

Speaking about the Airmen of the wing, Brig. Gen. Broomall said, "They deserve the thanks of all Delawareans. Their success is definitely a community effort, of Airmen, local employers and families. This is their accomplishment also."

Planning for the inspection began a year and a half ago. "The whole time leading up to this inspection," said Brig. Gen. Broomall, "these Airmen have kept answering the call of their governor to respond to hurricanes and other homeland defense duties."

Talking on stage with the Inspector General team chief, Maj. Gen. Vavala addressed the room full of Airmen, and said, "I liked everything you said, but one thing you forgot to say is that this is the best Air National Guard unit in the nation."

According to the AMC Inspector General's Office, AMC inspects about 20 Air Force units each fiscal year, and approximately eight of those are ANG. Guard units are typically inspected every five years and are graded the same as Reserve and active-duty units. There is no special standard, even for wings that are mostly comprised of traditional (part-time) Guardsmen. Everyone is treated the same.

The inspected phases of the ORI were the initial response phase, the employment phase, the mission support phase, and the ability to survive and operate phase, with most of the activity occurring at the Combat Readiness Training Center at the Alpena ANG Base in Alpena, Mich. The Delaware ANG wing was the lead unit for this ORI, partnering with over 300 fellow Airmen from the 146th Airlift Wing, California ANG, stationed at Channel Islands, Calif. The California ANG unit also received an overall ORI grade of Excellent.

The Delaware Air National Guard is a reserve component of the U.S. Air Force with 1,100 positions under command of the Governor of Delaware, or the President of the United States when mobilized. The Delaware ANG has been serving Delaware and the United States of America since 1946.

This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written.

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