UCI excellence requires quality performance in all areas

  • Published
  • By Capt. Carla Gleason
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Exercises are not new to Luke Air Force Base, or any other military installation for that matter, but when they come so close to a major wing inspection, the pressure mounts to perform well. The 56th Fighter Wing, smack dab in the middle of planning for a unit compliance inspection scheduled for October, held an exercise June 30 to test the wing's ability to respond to a natural disaster.

"The purpose of the exercise program is to test our abilities to perform in real world contingencies," said Maj. Paul Dambrauskas, 56th Fighter Wing chief of exercise and evaluations. "In this case, monsoon season is upon us and a natural disaster scenario gives the wing an opportunity to review procedures before they might be needed." While the base performed satisfactorily during this exercise, the real value was the chance to put policies, procedures and communication avenues into practice, sharpening response skills in preparation for the UCI.

"As we continue through the next exercise or two, units should emphasize communication and proper procedure, which will bring us all closer to an excellent UCI," Major Dambrauskas said.

The exercise plan is dictated largely by emergency management regulations, with certain requirements that must be met each year. For instance, wings must hold a large-scale exercise once each quarter, and they must test the wing's response to a natural disaster, mass casualty, terrorist attack, etc. Some of these requirements can be combined and met with a single exercise. Others cannot, and there are two more scheduled, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, before the UCI.

"Our goal is to meet as many requirements as we can in each exercise. By planning ahead of time with each unit so we can incorporate their individual requirements, we get more bang for our buck," Major Dambrauskas said.

Practice makes perfect, and while there will be a major exercise as part of the UCI, response is not all that inspectors will be looking at, so the wing is preparing in other ways as well.

"We are working through the first of two staff assisted visits that will be completed before the UCI," said Maj. Douglas Charters, 56th FW UCI project officer. "While each unit runs a self inspection every six months whether we are preparing for a UCI or not, the SAV asks the commander to evaluate each unit's compliance. Self inspection program checklists are tools that can help commanders and supervisors do just that."

In July, commanders will look at their individual unit's compliance and discrepancy issues during the wing's first SAV, and the second SAV in September will be treated as a dress rehearsal for the UCI.

"There is a big difference between giving a checklist item a thumbs-up and really asking the hard questions," said Lt. Col. Brian Elliott, 56th FW inspector general. "People need to go beyond just simple yes, no, or N/A answers; they need to demonstrate how it is done or why it is not."

One tool the wing is using to consolidate and standardize unit self inspections is the management internal control toolset. Using this online database, leaders at all levels can track and manage programs and discrepancies. As of this year, units with the wing are required to load their checklists into MICT and run self inspections through the system.

If there is any type of guidance, Air Force Instruction, policy letter, publication or other document that uses the words "will," "shall" or "must," that is something the unit needs to comply with. And if it is something an individual needs to comply with, it needs to have a self inspection checklist associated with it, and the wing dictates the checklist, be loaded into MICT.

"For those program managers or appointed inspection monitors who are having difficulties, we are offering several opportunities for MICT training," Major Charters said.

The bottom line? According to Colonel Elliott, whether it is responding during an exercise, complying with everyday regulations, such as proper uniform wear or documenting office operational instructions, do what is supposed to be done when it's supposed to be done and you will end with excellent results.