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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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Historic UTA at Niagara

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Andrew Caya
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  "We called it a historic weekend, because it's never been done before," said Col. Kurt Hammer, lead operational readiness inspection planner for Team Niagara .

Niagara Airmen from the 914th and 107th Airlift Wings participating in the upcoming ORI partook in a joint Unit Training Assembly October 15 and 16 at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y.

In years passed, the Air Force Reserve 914th Airlift Wing and the New York Air National Guard 107th Airlift Wing have been separate entities. However since the association of both units, the wings have been in lockstep with one another into uncharted territories.
"We are the only Reserve and Guard association on the same installation in the world," said Hammer. "We are very unique."

Just because Niagara Airmen are in a different situation than many units in the Air Force, doesn't mean that they will be given a free pass at the ORI. Hard work and training are part of Niagara's association regimen.

According to the lead planner, it is estimated that 70 percent of a unit has never been to an ORI before.

"We had to cross that line some point in time and get these new people who have never been to an operational training inspection into an ORI mode", said Hammer. "This was the weekend we did it. I think it went outstanding."

Master Sgt. Douglas Stowe, of the 107th Airlift Wing Financial Management Office stated that his joint section took the initiative to train together before this weekend.

"Once we knew we were doing a Team Niagara ORI together we went to Ft. Drum as a combined 914th and 107th shop to do a Financial Management Operational Readiness Exercise," said Stowe. "We've worked together before, so this UTA is integrating us again, and it's working well."

Team Niagara Financial Management was not the only section that was on top of their readiness and ORI preparations.

I can't tell you how many compliments I received from the Exercise Evaluation Team about how seamless our association was, said Hammer. "They could not tell the difference between a 914th or 107th Airman- that was our goal. I think we are beyond the 914th and 107th; We are Team Niagara."

Although the first ever joint UTA is over, Colonel Hammer and the rest of the Team Niagara ORI staff are working together to hone the units wartime training.

"Given the results of this weekend, we are going to develop a training plan that gives leaders a direct guide on how we are going to get from where we are now, to the ORI trained and able," said Hammer.