The Joint Tactical Ground (JTAG) Station at South Korea’s Osan Air Base is one of four JTAG units worldwide that is equipped to provide early missile warning for the U.S. and its allies. It recently proved its mission-readiness during a recent Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE), scoring a near-perfect 99% proficiency mark.
The ORE was completed Sept. 16 and is one of two external evaluations that each JTAG detachment undergoes each year. “We conduct OREs annually in [U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command] for each mission area,” said Tom Jacobs, battalion standardization officer with the 1st Space Battalion, which plans, coordinates, and executes the ORE. “It is the commander’s check on operational proficiency across the organization…They are extremely important to ensure our units are ready to perform their directed, strategic mission.”
Members of the Joint Tactical Ground Station-Korea detachment review the results of their external review following their ORE earlier this year. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army)
Jacobs continued: “The scenario presented to the unit was both complex and dynamic, using current real-world situations to drive the evaluation. OREs are designed to be challenging while enabling the unit to demonstrate proficiency in accomplishing their direct mission. Success depends on individual and collective tasks being performed to standard.”
According to detachment operations sergeant Sgt. First Class Kacee Love, the successful ORE validated the ability of the unit to perform its mission: “The past year has been making sure all of our operators were certified at multiple levels,” Love said, “and making sure everyone understands not just what their job is within the shelter, but what the person to the left or right is also responsible for and how their mission actually impacts the higher echelon units around the world—those tier-one sites and those who have a role in missile warning.”
The soldiers often refer to their group as a form of family because of the close-knit working conditions required to achieve such a high rating for the weeklong event. While the ORE was quite successful, it also revealed some areas for improvement which the group will readily address before the next ORE.
