Bearcat UCI team claws at Misawa units

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --   Units from the 35th Fighter Wing finished their first Pacific Air Forces Inspector General no-notice unit compliance inspection, Dec. 4.

During the IG team's no-notice visit, five units were inspected: the 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 35th Maintenance Squadron munitions flight, 610th Air Control Flight, 14th Fighter Squadron and the 35th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment shop.

"This is a unique inspection for two reasons," said Maj. Wesley Hales, 35th FW inspections chief. "First, it's a focused inspection with only a handful of units being looked at, because they missed the last UCI. Second, it's a no-notice inspection or short-notice inspection, which helps to ensure a units integrity to established guidelines. This also helps in keeping units at a steady state of compliance instead of the typical run-up to the inspection then the slow decline out of compliance after the inspection."

A UCI is an inspection that verifies units are operating within the parameters outlined in their regulations. It also inspects common core-compliance areas. These are the areas that all units have in common such as voting assistance coordinator, facility manager, automated data processing equipment manager and so on.

UCI's check the paperwork side of things, unlike exercises that check mobility and war readiness of a unit, said Major Hales, a native of Cider Rapids, Iowa.

"Inspections and exercises should be welcomed by Airmen," said Major Hales. "They give a unit an opportunity to have an outside group look at their operations and validate their efforts or give them suggestions on areas to work on. Who doesn't need that type of feedback?"

A five-tier rating system was used to grade the units as outstanding, excellent, satisfactory, marginal or unsatisfactory. A unit receives the rating based on strengths, recommended improvements and findings the IG team reports.

"The findings are what's important," said Major Hales. "A finding is a deficiency or non-compliant area that the unit may have. After the PACAF IG team delivers their report, the wing IG must prepare a quarterly report that details how the finding is being closed out."

This inspection showed that four of the five units received a satisfactory rating, with the 14th FS garnering an outstanding.

"The PACAF IG said it best during the out brief," said Col. David Stilwell, 35th Fighter Wing commander. "Col. James Horton, PACAF IG, said he was happily surprised with everyone's performance last week. We can't let our guard down now that they're gone, but we should take heart knowing that our self-inspection programs are working and that we are leading the charge in getting back to a culture of compliance."