Follow steps to ensure successful result in UCI

  • Published
  • By By Maj. Jeffrey Dalrymple
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Inspector General's Office
RAF Mildenhall --  It should come as no surprise to anyone in the 100th Air Refueling Wing that there is a Unit Compliance Inspection scheduled Monday to Oct. 20. Most of us have been preparing for the UCI by running self-inspection checklists, updating continuity binders or updating appointment letters. 

The inspection team arrives Monday and will spend the day getting settled into the base. Starting Tuesday, you can expect to see inspectors in your work area. While being inspected, here are some things to consider: 

-- Be prepared to showcase your strengths. You have worked hard in preparation - prove it to them by showing all you've done. 

-- Checklists are the starting point - know the referenced Air Force Instruction and understand why you are doing something. 

-- Be prepared for an inspector with a different mentality and personality than yours. Your inspector may be abrasive or seem harsh to you, but the grading system they use will be standardized throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Don't argue with inspectors - this isn't personal. 

-- Document - fix actions planned for long-term solutions. You should have a memo for record prepared with facts before the inspectors arrive. 

-- Find out what inspectors want to look at so products will be ready for them - and looked over before they arrive. You can find out what inspectors will be looking at by reading UCI reports from other bases. 

-- In advance, outdated references and other materials should be purged. 

-- A strong first impression will carry a lot of weight - clean and neat offices, sharp uniforms, customs and courtesies - be ready. 

-- While being inspected, consider it an open book test. If you're not 100 percent sure of an answer, pull out the reference material or ask for clarification from inspectors. 

-- "I don't know" is not an answer; "I'll look into it and get back to you" is. 

-- If you're not the expert, refer the inspector to the expert. 

-- Don't hide or deny problems! When an inspector finds a deviation, show what you're doing to fix them. 

-- Be responsive to inspector-identified issues, up-channel reports to your commander before the end of day. 

-- Take action to resolve items identified prior to inspection end and if possible, show the inspector when the problem has been resolved. 

-- An inspector may only look at a small sample of your area. Ask for a re-look if sample appears skewed, know which are your best and worst. 

-- Pay no attention to rating words. Grades won't be decided until everything has been inspected and seriously considered. 

-- No single deficient item will drag down the entire unit. 

-- Inspectors take lots of notes, of both good and bad things. 

-- A fine-toothed comb can feel like a wire brush, but the inspectors need to collect enough information for fair assessment and grading. You'll need to have a thick skin. 

-- Inspectors are people, too - most are augmentees from other USAFE wings. Don't fear your peers. 

-- Professional attitudes, proper customs and courtesies, and a willingness to learn are the difference between good and great! 

-- The inspector general motto is: Validate - Educate - Motivate. 

The "Top 10 ways to dazzle the IG" in last week's Marauder was taken directly from the USAFE IG Web site. It's their proven way to impress. 

Be confident in the fact you're prepared! The 100th ARW has spent almost a year preparing for our UCI. Now is the time to show off your hard work and reap the benefits.