AMC IG is coming to town: Units prep for UCI

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  As the holidays approach, Airmen here are making lists and checking them twice, but they don't mirror Jolly Saint Nick's paper trail. Instead, for an upcoming Air Force major command inspection, these lists are critical in proving McConnell's mission success.

Units here are reviewing checklists and making sure Airmen are confidently skilled in their work areas in preparation for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's Unit Compliance Inspection Feb. 22 to March 2, 2010.

The UCI, headed by a team of Air Mobility Command inspectors and command subject-matter-experts, will evaluate the wing's ability to assess each unit's adherence to critical mission areas in Air Force and Air Mobility Command policy.

Officials from McConnell's Inspector General's Office and Wing Plans and Programs said to help Airmen prepare for the inspectors' scrutinous eyes in their work areas, they can turn to a central information hub.

"To ensure a robust compliance program, the 22nd ARW benchmarked a successful program based on Sharepoint/Enterprise Information Management from the 6th Maintenance Group at MacDill AFB, Fla," said Lt. Col. James Ruffing, 22nd ARW Inspector General who is also leading the base's UCI preparation.

The colonel said having all UCI documents in one location will build a culture of compliance and continuity. On this internal Web site, Airmen can review checklist requirements, past self-inspections and review what operations they should be able to explain to inspectors, when asked.

Colonel Ruffing said the UCI is like an open-book test. "We already know what questions the inspectors will ask," he said, which are also posted in the form of checklists on the Air Force Portal.

Functional representatives must be able to answer checklist questions and prove compliance, he said.

"Proof is in the documentation ...without documentation, the inspectors have nothing to inspect," he said, referring to the large amount of paperwork validating inspection requirements. "That's when (inspectors) start digging deeper."

The colonel said the most important thing Airmen should remember for the UCI is job knowledge. With that, he said the responsibility of knowing operational compliance lies with everyone and offered suggestions to ensure McConnell's success.


"Know your Air Force Instructions - cold," he said. "When the inspection team arrives, make sure you have a positive attitude and display a sense of urgency. First impressions count, make sure your appearance is impeccable and safety is at the forefront."

Airmen are also prepping for another aspect of the UCI. A major accident response exercise here Tuesday tested base emergency responders, medical teams and supporting units in handling crisis situations. After conducting several similar exercises throughout the year, the exercise should be nothing new to Airmen come February.

"During our UCI, the inspection team will run comprehensive tests of the installation's responses to emergency management scenarios, including a full-day exercise," said Maj. Jeff Mrazik, 22nd ARW chief of wing inspections. "This inspection will validate our ability to respond to a wide range of major real-world incidents. Emergency management inspection preparation is critical because it directly reflects our installation's readiness to respond from everything to tornadoes to terrorist attacks."

UCI ratings are based on a traditional 5-tier grade scale: outstanding, excellent, satisfactory, marginal or unsatisfactory given for each sub-area, mission area, and overall wing grade.

McConnell's last UCI overall rating, in December 2006, was an Excellent.