Story: AWACS ORE “Exercise Infiltration”

During a standard Occupational Readiness Excercise at Kadena, I was tasked by Eagle-eye to “Infiltrate the Heavies side” of the flightline. I was allowed to go in any attire I saw fit, as I was expected to be caught. I was given an ORE card, which identifies me as an Excercise member and not a Real-World Terrorist. I adorned my standard Crew Chief gear: BDU pants, black T-shirt, blue coveralls folded at the waist so as not to cover my shirt, and a line badge holder on my left arm - Although I wasn’t permitted to bring my line badge (which identifies my authorization to be there), I was allowed to bring the badge holder.

With that, I walked directly across the flightline, strutting as if I had every right to be there. Ducking behind the paint barn, Hardened Aircraft Shelters, and other buildings, I walked right across the Radio-Controlled Area and runways, which were not in use at the time.

I entered the Heavy Airframe area by walking directly over the red line, walked right up to an AWACS and touched the landing gear. For the uninitiated, touching an aircraft in an ORE is how an “Exercise Terrorist” is defined as having “Stolen the aircraft”.

At the time they were under an exercise Ground Assault, so I sheltered inside the landing gear door for about 10 minutes. After the All Clear was sounded and the E3’s ground crew went back to work, I emerged form the belly of the aircraft. Walking up to a TSgt Crew Chief, I displayed my Exercise card and informed him his aircraft was now stolen. I was exercise-apprehended (Placed in a taped-off area on the flightline) and released once my role was confirmed, and given a ride back to my side of the base where I caught another exercise terrorist trying to steal my F-15.