Six months counting down to UCI

  • Published
  • By Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 2011 Air Education and Training Command unit compliance inspection is drawing near. The UCI is scheduled for Oct. 17 to 24, according to Lt. Col. Brian Elliott, 56th Fighter Wing Inspector General.

The UCI used to happen in three-year cycles, but presently they are transitioning to a two-year cycle, he said.

There are several keys to completing a successful UCI, the colonel said.

"Having success in the UCI is about being aware of all Air Force instructions and complying with them," Colonel Elliott said. "It is vital to have a good self-inspection program and a continuity book. A section may have a top-notch person who knows what to do and how to run the office, but if that person has to leave because of a deployment or some other reason, the section will suffer if new personnel don't know what to do. The continuity book will provide the guidance needed to allow a smooth flowing transition."

It is important to be smart about how to prepare for the UCI.

"I urge all sections and squadrons to have a good checklist and self-inspection program," he said. "Everyone is busy doing their jobs on a daily basis, so it is possible that certain areas get overlooked, which is why a good self-inspection program is vital. The self-inspection cycle at Luke is every six months.

"It is important to watch for new Air Force and AETC instructions. I recommend adding the publication date of each regulation to the self-inspection checklist, so you can immediately see if the checklist has been updated. Also, it is advisable to have at least one in-depth staff assistance visit before the inspection that would ask the tough questions."

There haven't been as many big changes in this UCI cycle as there were in the last cycle, according to Colonel Elliott.

"If there is a need to update a squadron or local operational instruction, it is important to make that change well in advance of the UCI, so that you can demonstrate months of compliance with that instruction," he said. "The inspectors hate 'fresh ink' and love proper documentation. The key is to have a checklist that is properly maintained to document that all instructions that apply to your job are being followed. We need to show the inspectors that we are in compliance. It is easy to get so busy with our job, that we forget to document what we are doing."

What's more, it is easy to get caught up in making everything look polished and shiny on the outside, Colonel Elliott said.

"While it is important to have a good outside appearance, I will stress again that compliance and fundamentals are what lead to successful inspections," he said. "Remember to use a measured pace in preparing for the inspection and complete the time-consuming tasks properly."

There are unique challenges the wing faces with this year's UCI.

"The big challenge is manning," Colonel Elliott said. "A lot of personnel are deployed and there have been cutbacks, so it means we are doing more with less. If a key person in the section is gone, it can be a problem, but with a good continuity book and self-inspection program, it will be easier to avoid potential problems. When leadership changes in a flight or squadron, the successor will do well, if a good system is in place. No section or squadron can rely on one person."

Luke has a good record in past UCIs.

"The wing scored an "excellent" in the 2009 UCI," Colonel Elliott said. "There are still plenty of areas to work on. Every squadron should be aware of those UCI results."
In all, Colonel Elliott said that there are some elements in our favor.

"It hasn't been that long since our last UCI," he said. "There have not been a lot of big changes in the Air Force since the last UCI."