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Pilot's 'Base Y' concept leads to 15 AW success in ORI

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  A Hickam C-17 pilot was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal Feb. 12 for his ingenuity in setting up and executing the base's Phase 2 maintenance and operations play area for the Operational Readiness Inspection here Feb. 7-13. 

Having been a pilot by trade for eight years now, Capt. Kenneth Strickland knows from numerous deployments exactly what it takes to plan and execute C-17 operations for the U.S. Pacific Command. He led the 15th Operations and 15th Maintenance Groups to victory when the base earned an overall excellent rating. 

"I've been working on the 'Base Y' plan for a year," Captain Strickland said. "We've been exercising for the last 10 months, and it's been a full time job for me for the last two to three months, but in the end it was worth it because we were prepared for the ORI and did a great job." 

The "Base Y" play area was a separate evaluation from the rest of the 15th Airlift Wing, the Morrilton, Ark., native said. Although it was tough to set up a base with just operations and maintenance, without the support of the mission support and medical groups, "I thought we executed it exactly how we played it," he said. "I love to fly, but I also love to see when a plan comes together." 

That planning was never more visible than in the actual inspection, where he saw the Hawaii Air National Guard and active duty Airmen come together for excellent results.
Senior Master Sgt. Jason Higashionna, a HIANG loadmaster with the 204th Airlift Squadron, said Captain Strickland demonstrated a "perfect example of total force integration." As a guardsman, he has never felt more welcome in the active-duty operations. 

"Captain Strickland is the heart and soul of this whole Phase 2," said Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Bragg, 535th Airlift Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of standard evaluations. As the ramp coordinator, he had to make sure the planes each had what they needed to be generated properly. "[Captain Strickland] got the train moving and it never slowed down. Everything he got for us was on time and functioned, well and it was great to work for him." 

But the humble, career Airman, formerly an enlisted crew chief, expressed that he was just glad to be part of such a successful operation. 

"Many people get to see their piece of the puzzle put down but not necessarily the whole picture," the captain said. He not only played a huge role in the ORI but was also the U.S. Pacific Air Force's first C-17 weapons officer. "It's very satisfying." 

His boss during the ORI, Lt. Col. Casey Eaton, was the acting 754th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander, and had nothing but good things to say about this selfless company grade officer. 

"In our Air Force careers, we all have the opportunity to work with a few truly special people," he said. "It's hard to define exactly what it is, but when you work with them you know it. He was truly a superstar this ORI. When I shook his hand after this MSM ceremony, I told him, 'More than anyone else I've ever met, you deserve this.' It simply would not have happened without him." 

Before the results of the ORI were announced Feb. 18, Captain Strickland left Hickam to serve in Kirkuk on a 365-day deployment, where he will train Iraqi Air Force pilots.