Commentary Search

IG discusses new inspection method

  • Published
  • By Jeffrey Haakinson
  • 90th Missile Wing Inspector General's office
The 90th Missile Wing was chosen to benchmark the first ICBM wing inspection method last year, the Consolidated Unit Inspection system. The Air Force was testing the new inspection method of combining many smaller inspections into one larger, single inspection.

Air Force Global Strike Command arrived with 212 inspectors and evaluated 12 previous stand-alone inspections during the week-long event. The 90th MW rallied to the challenge and had a successful inspection.

The 90th MW will again benchmark a new inspection method this August called the Capstone Unit Effectiveness Inspection. This inspection is much different than the previous CUI, with much of the inspection being conducted virtually, prior to the team arriving. AFGSC's Inspector General Office will pull data from the Management Internal Control Toolset program focusing on undetected non-compliance areas within the wing.

The inspection footprint should be smaller with fewer inspectors having "boots on the ground." To prepare for the inspection, Col. Tracey Hayes, 90th Missile Wing commander, has directed an internal inspection as part of her Commander's Inspection Program. Hayes ordered all units in the 90th MW to conduct a self-assessment of their programs using the MICT program during the month of May. The key to a good Capstone UEI starts with the self-assessment.

To help people complete the assessment, there are a few points to consider:

· Ensure each section tasked with running a self-assessment has downloaded the most current checklists and has all the required checklists. New checklists in MICT show up with red font to identify them as recently updated or uploaded and remain in red for 90 days or until a new assessment is initiated and the new checklist will automatically load. One method to ensure people have all the checklists loaded in MICT is to use the latent self-inspection binder containing printed checklists as a guide. As checklists are loaded into MICT, remove those checklists from your old binder until all the checklists are gone.

· Ensure each section conducts the assessment accurately and honestly to reflect the programs they are inspecting. Checklists with missing items or items people have out for coordination should be marked "no" in MICT with a realistic get well date and explanation for of how the issue will be corrected.

Many checklists in MICT require status updates from multiple sections. Those section representatives need to provide accurate data with realistic corrective dates for missing items for their sections.

· The new AF inspection system encourages users to self-identify deficient areas and outline their own corrective action plans. This is a critical part of the self-assessment. Higher headquarters will be tracking progress for the unit and use the information entered by wing personnel to determine the "health" of the wing. One way AFGSC can detect non-compliance is if a unit has checked all the items in MICT as "yes" and all other AFGSC bases are marked "no." The area will be identified as one AFGSC will want to come and physically inspect.

· Ensure the MICT checklists are being closed out after each assessment. Closing a checklist creates a history of your assessments and allows inspectors to see all of your findings and all corrective actions you have taken virtually.

The overarching goal of the program is to reduce the number of inspectors at each wing and conduct the majority of inspections virtually. Conducting a complete self-assessment, developing realistic corrective actions, evaluating those corrective actions, then closing the deficiency will lead to more effective and efficient future inspections. For more information, contact the wing IG office at 773-2121.