Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Mass. – On Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, the 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard received results from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Inspector General on their Alert Mission inspection resulting in the highest rating of “Mission Ready” for 24/7 Alert units in the United States Air Force and U.S. Air National Guard.
“I am very happy to report that we received the highest rating of “Mission Ready” for our NORAD/IG Alert Force Evaluation here at the 104th Fighter Wing, said Col. James J. Keefe, Commander of the 104th Fighter Wing.
The Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) mission at Barnes Air National Guard Base was evaluated and received the highest rating allowable of “Mission Ready” on all four NORAD/IG sub graded areas of inspection and an overall rating of “Mission Ready”.
The four areas of inspection are Command and Control-Mission Ready, Mission Employment-Mission Ready, Alert Aircraft-Mission Ready, and Security Forces-Mission Ready. To achieve a “mission ready” rating, it requires years of expertise and attention to detail by numerous personnel in every area, all focused on delivering the very best results for our nation’s defense.
“The NORAD IG Team was very impressed with our mission, and mentioned to me that he considered us a top tier unit,” said Keefe.
Additionally, two of our Barnestormers were recognized by the NORAD IG during the inspection. Staff Sgt. Rachel Morin of the 104th Security Forces received Superior Performer recognition along with Chief Master Sgt. Robert Roy, Chief Enlisted Manager of the Aerospace Control Alert’s aircraft maintenance operations.
“Chief Roy has been here through the stand-up of the ACA alert mission and has led us to success over the last seven years” said Keefe. “These ratings are a testament to his dedication and professionalism.”
The 104th Fighter Wing is a Wing assigned to the Massachusetts National Guard and Air Combat Command. The Wing is equipped with the F-15 Eagle and supports worldwide overseas operations, homeland operations, domestic response, security cooperation and international strategic partnerships. One homeland mission of the 104th Fighter Wing is the Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) – providing armed F-15 fighters ready to scramble in a moment’s notice
to protect the Northeast from any airborne threat. The Wing is responsible for protecting a quarter of the nation’s population and one third of the Gross Domestic Product.
