It's Here -- New, seasoned Sabers prepare Spangdahlem for Unit Compliance Inspection

Published Feb. 17, 2009
By 2nd Lt. Kathleen Polesnak
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The countdown is over.

And while there won't be a descending shiny ball of lights or a shower of confetti, the arrival of the Unit Compliance Inspection at Spangdahlem Air Base is a big event -- just ask the people who have spent thousands of hours preparing for it during the past five months.

"Until (the inspectors) actually leave this base, I'm probably not going to be able to rest, but I think you can't help but have some kind of relief," said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Veros, 52nd Fighter Wing Inspections, Plans and Programs superintendent.

Chief Veros headed a seven-person internal inspection team that conducted mock inspections for units across the base. The team's aim was to present a more realistic idea of what UCI inspectors are looking for, help Airmen practice answering questions, and give recommendations for improvements.

But practice hasn't quite made perfect.

"We can't let up, we need to keep this momentum and keep going forward," Chief Veros said. "We're not going to be 100 percent when they get here. We're going to have some things identified that we need to work on."

It's been five years since Spangdahlem AB's last UCI, which is why prepping for it has been so tedious, said Maj. Brett Herman, 52nd Fighter Wing Inspections deputy chief.

"History has shown that if (a base) goes more than five years, things start to go through the cracks and programs fall apart," he said. "That has happened to an extent on base - programs had to be re-energized and people have been working diligently to get them ready for the UCI."

Spangdahlem AB received an overall rating of "excellent" during the March 2004 UCI.

"Here, because it's been so long, the corporate knowledge from the last UCI is long gone," Major Herman added. "People are trying to figure out their jobs and build continuity books - it's like we're starting from scratch. That will really help out as long as we keep the programs going."

Starting this year, no-notice UCIs will be implemented across the Air Force, meaning inspection teams can show up at a base and examine program compliance without prior notice. This would cement the idea that compliance is a daily duty for all Airmen rather than an occasional standard, Chief Veros said.

Despite the scramble and stress of it all, completing UCI-related tasks has helped both individuals and units grow, said 1st Lt. David Smalenberger, 52nd Communications Squadron client services officer in charge. Lieutenant Smalenberger was tasked with preparing the 17 work centers that make up his squadron. He and Master Sgt. Kenneth Gavin served as unit self inspection monitors for the 52nd CS, examining the 5,600 checklist items that are part of about 40 programs in the communications field.

"I thought I was good at leading and managing my time, but this was seriously the most significant trial of time management and leadership," Lieutenant Smalenberger said. "I thought I had a lot of distance to cover, but wow, in order to inspect anyone, you have to be the expert yourself."

On top of the three work centers Lieutenant Smalenberger supervised, he took on UCI preparations for the squadron in October. Since then, he's been visiting work centers -- including those at Volkel Air Base, Geilenkirchen Air Base and Kleinebrogel Air Base - to dig through binders and get into the nitty-gritty of Air Force Instructions and program checklists.

"It was a blessing in a convoluted way because while latching onto a senior NCO and being involved with a UCI was the best thing that could happen in a way, I was forced to learn all the jobs in that unit so much faster and actually know the AFIs and be able to reference them," Lieutenant Smalenberger said.

There isn't a distinct event that's similar to the UCI in a civilian corporation, Major Herman said, but UCIs have been synonymous with the military for decades.

"It's more of a military thing because we are governed so heavily on AFIs and DOD directives -executive orders that we have to follow to ensure we do our jobs correctly and in accordance with the law," Major Herman said.

Seasoned officers and senior noncommissioned officers who have been through UCI inspections also say they have learned from preparing for this year's showdown at Spangdahlem.

"It's all a good learning experience, but in the end, it's validating you're doing your job the way it's supposed to be done," said Chief Veros, who has been through three UCIs as a first sergeant at both Kadena Air Base and the Air Force Academy.

"I think in my mind, I keep falling back on people -- people are what make it happen and we don't intend to fail as human beings," Chief Veros said. "Sometimes we just miss direction. I've grown from this experience because I've never done it at this large of a scale, but I think everybody has probably learned a lot and learned lessons such as, 'I'm never gonna let this happen again.'"

Learning about AFIs, programs and planning are only part of the big picture that a UCI aims to cover. Communication and taking care of people are what makes or breaks the scope of the inspection, both Chief Veros and Major Herman emphasized.

"Our daily jobs, we do those correctly - it's the little things that can hurt us," Major Herman said.

"I think there's been quite a bit of cooperation amongst the units," Chief Veros said. "To me, I think that's increased because you realize you can't do it by yourself and everyone has to chip in and help ... that's how you take care of people -taking care of people is doing the right thing and making people do it the right way. I think this the best thing that's happened to this base in five years."