ACC conducts first-ever UEI at Holloman

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ra'Quel Longmire
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The Air Combat Command Inspector General and team will visit Holloman Sept. 25-30 to conduct the Command's first-ever Unit Effectiveness Inspection.

The 49th Wing has volunteered to be the proverbial guinea pig for ACC's first UEI, thus initiating the transition to its new inspection system and setting an even higher standard of excellence.

"We would like to thank the Fighting 49ers for helping us set the stage with the new Air Force inspection system for ACC. We appreciate the collaboration that we have had with Team Holloman taking on this UEI and working with us on making a difference for the future," said Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Schwenk, Air Combat Command Office of the Inspector General superintendent.

The system was officially announced in a new regulation, Air Force Instruction 90-201, Aug. 2. Under the new system, the ACC IG team is responsible for conducting one inspection every two years for each of its installations. The UEI is not only a new type of inspection for the 49th Wing, but it is also a new experience for the ACC IG and his team of inspectors.

"We at the IG are calling the new system the two-year look, building a photo album on the coffee table," said Schwenk. "In the past when we would do an inspection, it was a snap shot in time...like a Polaroid picture. Now we are going to be building and collaborating with the wings to build a photo album over the two-year period. We will try to give credit for as many things as we can. Therefore, when it comes to the capstone event, it could be very small which reduces the footprint of the IG visitors and saves money and time."

The UEI's concept is critical to mission success because it goes above and beyond the typical Compliance Unit Inspection which focuses solely on a unit's compliance or noncompliance. The UEI will consist of a week-long inspection highlighting two core areas: 1) Compliance based on required programs per Air Force regulation; and 2) The effectiveness of leadership and management skills within the unit.

"In addition to measuring the compliance of programs, the UEI also focuses on leadership and management effectiveness within each squadron and agency," said Wayne Paddock, 49th Wing Plans and Inspections deputy chief of plans and inspections.

"The inspectors are using a few different approaches to evaluate effectiveness, including group and individual interviews during their visit, IG surveys geared toward all Department of Defense employees and their spouses and observing every day duties, first-hand, to determine if we are leading effectively."

As a part of the new system, the Air Force has implemented a series of initiatives to strengthen a commander's ability to focus on what matters most, including giving the command chain answers to their most important questions and reducing the need and incentive for inspection preparation, according to Schwenk. By incorporating the concept to measure the effectiveness of leadership and management skills, in addition to ensuring programs are in-compliance, this new system's primary goal is to make units more efficient.

"Leaders at the tactical wing level have been long awaiting this new system," said Col. James Thompson, 49th Wing vice commander.

"For some time now, wings have been expected to perform a numerous amount tasks with such fewer resources. The UEI system is designed to measure how well we are doing with more tasks but fewer resources, such as personnel and funding. While the IG and his team are here, they will be observing how we conduct our normal daily missions. At the end of the inspection, will we then be rated on how highly effective or ineffective the wing performs."

Due to current sequestration constraints, the Air Force can no longer afford to send hundreds of inspectors to various bases to conduct inspections for weeks at a time. The organization has been forced to rely heavily on advanced technology, including the Management Internal Control Toolset, to ensure that installations maintain compliance throughout budget cuts.

"Replacing the traditional physical inspection and slew of binders that accompany self-inspections are digital systems like the Management Internal Control Toolset. These allow units to update their inspection checklists in real-time and can be seen by inspectors, higher headquarters and local commanders whenever information is needed," said Benjamin Newell, Air Combat Command Headquarters public affairs specialist.

By implementing the UEI system, the intent is that all Air Force wings will eventually transition to it and will remain mission-ready 100 percent of the time.

In the current Air Force culture, units are accustomed to preparing for their inspection before it happens. The concept behind changing the inspection process is that units can showcase their readiness year-round and can do so without inspectors always present. In other words, rather than just running checklists prior to an inspection, those checklists will be constantly monitored and updated to ensure units are compliant at all times.

As the Air Force changes, so does the system of how it ensures units can perform the tasks for which they are accountable. Fortunately, the members of the 49th Wing will be the first in ACC to prove their effectiveness and show why they are indeed the Fighting 49ers!