OG division sets the standard

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  One of the most important aspects of nuclear mission success is the ability to perform job duties to the stringent standards set by the United States Air Force.

At Malmstrom Air Force Base, the 341st Operations Group Standardization and Evaluation division ensures these standards are met and performed relentlessly during day-to-day operations.

"We work directly for the OG and evaluate the combat ready crew force," said Maj Nathan James, 341st OG Standardization and Evaluation division chief. "We make sure they're combat mission ready and able to do their job on a day-to-day basis. We're also responsible for ensuring the entire group is standardized in their regulations, procedures and [Technical Orders]; everything they use to do their jobs. We make sure they're standardized across the group and that we're all using the same products."

The Team Malmstrom members who the division evaluates include the Launch Control Center operations crews, facility managers and missile chefs. Operation crews are evaluated in a simulator, or Missile Procedures Trainer, before being eligible to post to the missile complex. The facility managers and chefs are evaluated on site within the missile complex. Helicopter crews are currently evaluated within their squadron.

"We have a script that gives us information on what the crew's actions and evaluator actions should be and then present scenarios to them," said Capt. Megan Steele, 341st OG ICBM senior evaluator. "We then determine if each individual reacted to the scenario properly."

"We develop scenarios and put them in different situations and see how they respond without outside input," James added.

After each evaluation, team members are given a qualification level ranging from Q1 to Q3. A Q1 qualification level means the member had less than three minor errors in a scenario evaluation and qualifies them to do their job. A Q2 also qualifies the member to do their job, but a Q3 disqualifies the member from performing unsupervised alert duties, which makes them unable to post to the field.

If during an evaluation, a member makes no errors and is completely on top of their game, James can distinguish them with an EQ, or exceptionally qualified, qualification level. Currently, there are only two Team Malmstrom members with this level: Steele and 2nd Lt. Lee Aversano.

"We're the 'report card' for the operations group crews," James said. "We tell them whether they're proficient or failing operators. It's our job to make sure that the 341st OG has only proficient personnel in the field who know all aspects of their job. That's really important for this nuclear mission; everyone has to be on top of their game 100 percent of the time."

Steele is one of few Airmen tasked with keeping members in the field eligible to be there. Their jobs require them to selflessly give of their time to keep the rest of Team Malmstrom qualified to do the hard tasks that come along with keeping Malmstrom's nuclear mission successful.

"I would say that one of my favorite parts is being able to be part of this elite team and set the standard for other individuals to follow," Steele said. "You are able to assess individuals; you set the standard and the individuals follow you because they see you at that standard. I enjoy that aspect of being an evaluator."