Unit Compliance Inspection: 20 things to know

  • Published
  • By Col. Karl McGregor
  • 910th Airlift Wing
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Editor's Note:  Col. Karl McGregor, former 910th Airlift Wing commander at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Ohio and new 452nd Air Mobility Wing commander, recently published a set of guidelines for Youngstown ARS's UCI.

1. You are ready. The road to success began months ago, continues today and will continue up until the Unit Compliance Inspection in August. Being prepared means you have taken responsibility for your programs and processes, understand your program and processes and have all your paperwork ready to present.
2. Be proactive. Ask your supervisor what you can do to help. Every Air¬man's preparation is going to be different depending upon their job and level of responsibility, but there are things that everyone can do during the inspection that will benefit the wing.
3. Work with your UCI preparation team. They're here to help you. Leadership is available to provide help and resources.
4. Understand the grading criteria. Getting an "Outstanding" is process oriented and not based on "Zero Findings." Know the standard and work toward it with intention. You get a "Satisfactory" grade by following the checklist. You get an "Excellent" with high attention to detail when you follow the checklist. You get an "Outstanding" by looking beyond the checklist and dealing with the purpose and reason of your unit function.
5. Use the checklists. MICT provides the checklists that will be used for the UCI. Know your checklist answers and your Air Force Instructions.
6. Conduct regular UCI preparation meetings. Unit leadership should meet frequently with their teams to tackle issues and set suspense dates for corrective actions. Time is short!
7. Maintain strong continuity books in all sections.
8. Set deadlines and suspense dates. When deadlines and suspenses are set, stick to them and hold individuals accountable if they don't meet the set requirements.
9. Understand the Wing Inspection Program definitions:
- Critical Finding: Prevents the mission from happening.
- Non Critical Finding: Doesn't prevent the mission from happening, but has an effect on the mission.
- Information finding: No impact to mission.
- Limiting Factor: A factor or condition that, either temporarily or permanently, impedes mission accomplishment.
- Special Interest Item: A tool to focus management attention, gather data and assess the status of specific programs and conditions in the field.
- Common Core Compliance Area: Key processes, procedures or requirements based on bylaw requirements, executive orders, DOD directives, Air Force, MAJCOM or applicable AFRC instructions.
10. Monitor self-inspections closely. An "Outstanding" rating can be achieved only when the unit complies with nearly every inspectable item. Double check each item before crossing it off the self-inspection checklist. There can be no "Repeat" write-ups on items within our control from previous inspections.
11. Take "oral exams." Units should conduct mock interviews to help personnel prepare. By giving members the opportunity to verbalize answers and talk about their programs, they will approach the inspection with increased confidence. Speak clearly and with a full understanding of the topic. Try not to ramble, but ensure you answer their questions thoroughly.
12. Know your strong programs as well as your weak ones. Be sure that members talk up programs the unit is proud of. If a program is weak, demonstrate how the unit is getting it up to speed. Have your whole team at the inspection interview if possible. Be able to describe your part in a program or process and now something about all other parts of it.
13. Success is not fixing every discrepancy, but having a working process to identify/track findings.
14. Squadron Commanders own and track findings to closure.
15. Research current UCI trends. See where the UCI team has their focus.
16. Use customs and courtesies. Looking and being professional goes a long way toward success.
17. Don't be argumentative. An inspector may find something you don't agree with, explain your opinion without appearing argumentative. Be confident in what you relay to the inspector and inform your supervisor immediately afterward.
18. Have all documentation ready. The inspection team will want to see documentation to verify checklist items are being complied with. Standardized binders with tabbed content represents a unit's pride and professionalism.
19. Answer what you know and research the rest. If an inspector asks you a question and you don't know the answer, don't guess. Tell the inspector you don't know what the exact answer is, but you know where to find it and you will get back to them. If they ask you a question, they more than likely already know the answer.
20. You are the key to March's success. The inspection team is interested in talking to each and every one of you. Each person holds some piece of the puzzle that will ensure 100 percent compliance. By working together, we can repeat the success of the Operational Readiness Inspection and continue the long line of brilliant performance at March Air Reserve Base.