Inspection focuses on hot spots

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Brooke Brzozowske
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  The nuclear surety inspection and unit compliance inspections take place at Warren from December 2 to 17, and will particularly affect some 'high visibility areas' like the clinic and the command post. 

The medical clinic is one of those high visibility areas that inspectors will direct their focus, especially with issues like the personal reliability program at an Air Force missile base. 

"The inspectors will be focusing on everything, especially on the PRP," said Master Sgt. Jeanette Olive, 90th Medical Group PRP monitor. "But we aren't necessarily doing anything different. We've had these processes in place 365 days of the year. Inspection preparation is continuous for us." 

The command post will be another high-visibility area where inspectors will be evaluating the operations of the crisis action team. 

"During major events in the inspection, the command post becomes the installation control center and the home for the wing commander and the senior staff ... known in previous lives as the "battle staff" more recently as the commanders senior staff and now a new (but old) term of crisis action team," said Lt. Col. Richard Sheldon, 90th Missile Wing command post chief. 

Success is dependent on the command post's communication procedures as it is important to facilitate discussions between base leadership and agencies and relay decisions as necessary for execution, Colonel Sheldon said. 

"Key to success every day during the inspection is to share information as quickly as possible so everybody has the same situation awareness," Colonel Sheldon said. "In other words, everyone needs to be on the same page. For us (the command post), it's the initial notification that makes us the decision makers. If we get off on the right foot right away, we'll impress the inspectors. If we get off on the wrong foot, we'll spend a lot of our time correcting our initial actions." 

Another area of importance and interest to the inspectors will be the emergency operations center during base-wide emergency exercises. 

Communication is vital no matter what position you hold or task you have to accomplish; but with regard to the CAT, the EOC, and emergency situations, effective and accurate communication drives success, Colonel Cook said. 

"Our confidence should be high as we enter into this inspection because I believe the skill set to 'wow' an inspector is the same skill set we expect in all of our Airmen every day -- pride, professionalism, and performance," Colonel Cook said. "We train and operate to high standards in these areas. Be proud of what you do, remember customs and courtesies, and 'own' your process - this will carry the day." 

"The 90th is blessed to have experienced incident commanders who excel at clearly and rapidly communicating threat, risk, and response requirements," Colonel Cook said.