Which of the following is the originator of the ATO message in the given example?

• A. 505TH TRS
• B. 7th Fighter Squadron
• C. 1st Wing
• D. 99th Airlift Squadron

Answer: (A)

The key idea is understanding who actually wrote and released the ATO content—that unit is the originator. In Air Force planning, the originator field on the ATO identifies the squadron or organization responsible for drafting and tasking the assets within that ATO for the specified time window. In the given example, the ATO shows the 505th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron as the originator, which makes sense because that squadron owns the reconnaissance assets and authored the ATO tasks tied to those assets. The other units listed are either higher-level commands or different asset owners who would not be the author of the ISR-focused tasks in this context. So the squadron that controls the ISR assets and drafted the mission tasks is the originator, which is why that option is the best choice.