Laughlin prepares for crucial inspection

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Blake Mize
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A team of more than 120 inspectors from Randolph Air Force Base will travel to Laughlin May 2 through 11 to conduct an inspection to assess how well the base complies with regulatory directives.

Laughlin will undergo a Unit Compliance Inspection, which is conducted at Air Force bases at varying intervals, during that time.

"Basically, they're going to assess the health and performance of the entire wing," said Lt. Col. John Hilterman, Laughlin's chief of wing inspections.

The UCI has been scheduled for some time and preparation has been underway for almost as long.

"People have been working very hard," said Lt. Col. Hilterman. "We've conducted two self-inspection cycles, which, to me, is the key for success in a compliance inspection."

Although the preparation for the UCI may have been tiresome and stressful for some, many Airmen feel it has been very beneficial for the base itself.

"It has been a lot of hard work and long days, but in the end it has really given us a chance to shore up some of our programs and make sure we're doing things the right way ," said Airman 1st Class Tyler Sumrall, 47th Comptroller Squadron.

Lieutenant Col. Hilterman said that it is well-known what is going to be expected by the inspectors and that Laughlin members should be ready.

"It really is an open-book test. We know exactly what they're going to be asking and what they're going to be looking for," he said. "The last year has been spent preparing for this test and making sure we have all the right answers when they get here."

This is Laughlin's first major inspection since 2007 when it received a rating of excellent after an Operational Readiness Inspection was conducted here. An ORI is similar to a UCI, but it focuses more on a base's ability to deploy Airmen. Since Laughlin is primarily a training wing and does not deploy as many Airmen as a traditional base, a UCI was deemed a more appropriate method of evaluating its merit because it focuses strictly on Air Force directives and instructions.

"This is the most important inspection we'll go through. We go through many inspections throughout any given year, but for the base overall, this is the biggest one," said Lt. Col. Hilterman.

The UCI is graded on a five-tier scale. The grades are unsatisfactory, marginal, satisfactory, excellent and outstanding.

"We are, of course, shooting for an outstanding, but most of the inspections in the last year or two within AETC have been satisfactory. If we can get ourselves to an excellent, I'll be very, very pleased and I think we're poised to do that," said Lt. Col. Hilterman.

While consequences do exist if a low rating is received, Lt. Col. Hilterman is confident that will not be an issue. However, he stressed the importance of each Laughlin member, from civilians to young Airmen to leadership, doing their part in ensuring that is the case.

"This is everybody's inspection. Everybody on this base will be observed. Everybody has a role. Everybody is a player in this," he said.

Lieutenant Col. Hilterman's main advice is for everyone at Laughlin to take pride in what they do.

"While the inspectors are here, show a sense of urgency. Show that you are motivated to do your job well, that you're proud of being in the Air Force, that you're proud of your job, that you're proud of the program you may be in charge of and you want to show it off to the inspectors," he said.

Laughlin's chief of wing inspections also said not to look at the inspectors as the enemy.

"It's not an adversarial relationship. They are really are here to help us," he said. "We've got the experts here for 10 days looking at our entire base and our entire wing, and they're going to help us get better. And that's the bottom line. That's why we're in uniform, that's why we are getting paid to do what we do. To make sure this base is the best that it can be."