How can I prepare for the 2010 Unit Compliance Inspection?

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Duane Helton
  • 355th Fighter Wing Inspections, Plans & Programs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  You're sharp. You're motivated. You want to contribute to the team. I know you're asking the same question I've asked myself many times before: How can I help the 355th Fighter Wing prepare for the 2010 Air Combat Command Inspector General Unit Compliance Inspection?

Glad you asked! Today, I'd like to answer that question from 3 different perspectives.

If you're a junior Airman in a work center, ask your supervisor to see a copy of the most recent work center evaluation and the last UCI report. This will show your unit's strong and weak areas and help focus your preparation priorities. You can run 10,000 checklists and most often, you'll find that a good majority of them overlap many of the areas covered by your local quality assurance or standards and evaluation personnel when they inspect your work center. The most recent copies of these checklists can be found on the ACC Publications Air Force Portal Page; look in the 90-series publications.

If you're managing a work center, you may want to visit the 355th Fighter Wing Compliance and Self-Inspection Community of Practice website on the Portal. This is an excellent source of information with tons of useful data to help you prepare for the UCI. The site has UCI-specific publications, forms, and official Air Force Instruction guidance. Another excellent tool to use is the 355th Fighter Wing UCI Database. Please see your Unit Compliance and Self-Inspection Program monitor for access.

In addition, visit the ACC/IG Inspection Data Website at https://igdata.acc.af.mil. You will need to register; however, it's the best place to browse and review the latest UCI reports from other wings. You can find UCI reports from other ACC units as far back as 1992. Compare your programs with theirs -- can you make yours better? The answer is undoubtedly YES! It would be foolish not to learn from what has been identified in similar inspections across the command. Please take the time to review those reports and ensure your programs don't have the same write-ups.

If you're a little higher up in the chain of command, consider getting out from behind your desk and physically walking through the work centers under your purview. Take a look through some continuity binders. Ask the Airmen what they've been doing to prep for the UCI. Break out a continuity binder and explain how to answer those confusing questions. Let them ask you some questions. In other words, be visible in your units and support your Airmen.

Those are just a few ideas. Remember, there's lots of really helpful information available within our network of internal web resources -- use them! If you're unsure about something or have questions, ask your supervisor who the squadron UCI lead is. That person will either have all the answers to your questions or at least know where to find them.

Finally, we are approximately 15 days out from the 355th Fighter WIng UCI. One simple thing that every Airman can do is have a positive attitude. Instead of falling victim to the negative attitudes that may surround you, make an effort to buck the trend. Look for the good in every situation to better assist your unit as they prepare for the UCI.

Remember the words of Winston Churchill: "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

And don't forget to ask yourself every day, "What can I do to help the 355th Fighter Wing make an OUTSTANDING impression on the ACC/IG team?