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EEP streamlines ORE processing

By Airman 1st Class Shane M. Phipps, 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published September 19, 2012

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tara Reyna, 366th Force Support Squadron noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the exercise entry point, uses a common access card scanner to account for personnel entering the Operational Readiness Exercise, Sep. 13, 2012 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Reyna and her team are charged with the responsibility of processing more than 400 Airmen each day.
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U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tara Reyna, 366th Force Support Squadron noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the exercise entry point, uses a common access card scanner to account for personnel entering the Operational Readiness Exercise, Sep. 13, 2012 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Reyna and her team are charged with the responsibility of processing more than 400 Airmen each day.

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MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- This is part four of a four-part series on missions during an Operational Readiness Exercise here.

MHAFB is conducted an ORE Sep. 11 through 15 in preparation for an upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection.

The exercise was comprised of numerous personnel all facing various objectives in order to keep operations running smooth. One of the most essential objectives is processing the large number of Airmen in and out of the designated play area, which was all accomplished in one location - the Exercise Entry Point. The EEP had six stations; two of the more impactful stations being Meals Ready to Eat sales and the I.D. card processing station.

"I ensure people fill out the proper paperwork to receive up to six MRE per day," explained Airman 1st Class John Everett, 366th Force Support Squadron MRE salesman. "I have to make sure I don't lose any MRE or money, which is a pretty big responsibility."

The significance of the EEP is not lost on the Airman who ensures it runs as efficient as possible.

"I feel like this is one of the most important jobs there is because everyone has to eat," said Everett. "Without us, people would be really hungry and it would be a terrible place to work with low morale."

Every player in the exercise had to engage the processing area, where Airmen scan their common access card upon arrival and departure of the play area.

"We assist the personnel support contingency operations, who are the ultimate accountability keepers, by keeping track of all the players and forwarding the information," said Staff Sgt. Tara Reyna, 366th FSS noncommissioned-officer-in-charge of the EEP. "It's important to know where everybody is, in case anyone gets hurt or some kind of emergency happens."

Being as Reyna and her team interact with every participant in the exercise, it was important they openly accept feedback.

"We have heard several comments saying we are getting people through in a timely manner and everyone seems very happy," said Reyna.

Processing nearly 400 hundred people per day, the team had the monumental responsibility of conducting a final check of each individual's gear.

"It would be chaos without us," stated Reyna. "Not only do we ensure who is playing, we also do a final check as people come through to make sure they are within the proper regulations."