UCI thoughts run positive, energetic for chief

  • Published
  • By Capt. Carla Gleason
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Unit compliance inspections just prove to outside evaluators what we already know: when it comes to completing the mission Luke Airmen are among the best, at least according to Chief Master Sgt. Rory Wicks, 56th Fighter Wing command chief.

"The inspectors will come in to evaluate what we should already be doing anyway," Wicks said. "Get the mission done safely, securely, professionally and within the established regulations."

He should know; Wicks served as an inspector general teammember himself as the chief of security forces compliance inspections for Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency not too long ago. Luke's command chief spent two years evaluating other bases from 2006 until 2008, but he is not nervous now that the shoe is on the other foot.

"The IG already knows what we can do," said Wicks. "They come in wanting us to succeed; this is not the time to be nervous - we should be doing our jobs the same way every day."

Inspections are important according to Wicks because they keep us compliant and mission ready. Inspections are not just for the functional managers who run the programs; they include the Airmen on the ground completing the tasks too.

What would Chief advise every Airman out there do to get ready for this inspection? "I would say continue to do your job to the best of your ability. Be that great Airman you already are and do the great work you already do." If you do that, said Wicks, everything will be transparent to the IG.

Although a UCI will mainly inspect compliance, i.e. how well do you adhere to already established Air Force Instructions, policy memos or local operating instructions, it is still an evaluation of our wing's ability to get the job done and complete the mission.

"We need to do the job and look the part," Wicks said. "Standards, customs and courtesies, uniforms and operations, they will all play a part in the overall outcome."
Perhaps the biggest piece to the puzzle from the command chief's perspective is attitude.

"Our attitude needs to be positive," he said. "We should go into this with confidence, not arrogance. I say confidence because now it's our time to demonstrate to those from outside our house that we have the skills it takes to do our jobs right, not just because we know we can, but because we do it that way every day."

One aspect of attitude, according to Chief, is energy.

"What do I mean when I say energy?" Chief asked with a wide grin. "I say it all the time, positive energy is essential and high energy is critical. Be excited about completing the mission and tasks at hand but don't go out there and recreate the wheel, instead, put your best efforts into doing the right thing all the time."

Wicks calls putting forth that positive, high energy effort being true to ourselves.

"That's what it's going to take, all of us working together as a wing in the most effective, efficient and productive way to accomplish the mission," he said. "We've got this."