CRE canceled, MHAFB to refocus

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brittany A. Chase
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Col. Christopher Short, 366th Fighter Wing commander, addressed Gunfighters during an informational commander's call here today.

The call served as an opportunity for the commander to discuss a variety of topics, and announce the cancellation of the certified readiness exercise and MHAFB's redirected focus.

Short began by referencing the recent events in Boston and Washington D.C., and charged base personnel to remain alert.

"I need vigilance," he said. "Be smart, keep that good sense of humor, be flexible. I need you to be serious about force protection conditions and people such as our Defenders and OSI who are working to keep our families and yourselves safe."

The colonel praised the Gunfighters' performance during recent inspections and exercises. After an "excellent" rating during the March operational exercise, April's ORE proved especially challenging as budget cuts led to scenarios being simulated instead of being practically demonstrated.

Short expressed he no longer felt the Wing should continue conducting operations exercises when more and more of the exercise had to be simulated, defeating its purpose.

"So when your time, my people, our money, are so valued - if it's not value-added training that will keep us ready for the war, we don't need to be doing it," he continued. The wing worked with the inspector general team and determined they won't be back until February 2015.

With the exercise canceled, MHAFB personnel are encouraged to refocus on what's most important.

"Deploying Combat ready Gunfighters will remain our priority," Short said. "We'll also focus on taking care of our Gunfighter family, protecting our resources and developing leaders. I appreciate your dedication to the mission and I'm impressed with your 'can do' and 'get it done' attitude."