Spangdahlem to undergo new USAF inspection program Published Sept. 10, 2013 By Senior Airman Alexis Siekert 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Inspectors will assess Spangdahlem Airmen with two inspections in September: a new Unit Effectiveness Inspection and a Joint Staff Integrated Vulnerability Assessment. The pre-inspection months of painting rocks and recreating continuity books is a thing of the past due to the new inspection process adopted by the Air Force in August, 2013. Sabers will lead the way as one of the first bases to go through the new Unit Effectiveness Inspection process Sept. 16-20. "This process saves so much manpower and wasted time for Airmen, getting them away from all the tasks typical for inspection preparedness," said Lt. Col. Kevin Fisher, 52nd Fighter Wing Inspector General. "Now at the wing level, we are inspecting squadrons monthly or conducting wing exercises to ensure continual compliance and mission readiness, which equals inspection readiness." Inspectors changed the program to give the power back to the wing commander, Fisher explained. Squadron commanders or higher are entitled to run their squadron the way he or she sees fit, allowing them to show higher headquarters their mission capabilities. "It used to be that the IG would come down and take a snapshot of day-to-day missions and pass or fail a person based on a five-minute performance," he said. "With the changes, the inspectors can now give an honest report to the wing commander on what is great, what is not so great and what we can improve on." The UEI process is focused on four major graded areas: executing the mission; managing resources; improving the unit; leading the people. To assess these areas, the Air Force has adopted the Management Internal Control Toolset. MICT is an electronic self-assessment checklist program allowing units to maintain constant accountability. Base-wide checklist inspections are conducted twice annually, in January and July. "You don't just go through and make the checklists green. Be honest," said Fisher. "If you check 'no,' explain why you don't do it. Is it manning, is it budget, is it resources? And then list how you are going to correct the deficiency. Or if you answer yes, how do you do it? This proves what we are able to do and what processes we have enabled that are working. MICT also allows people outside this base to see how we are able to execute our mission." In addition to MICT, a unique aspect of the UEI will be the Airman-to-IG assessments. Focus groups will be chosen for one-on-one or group sit-down sessions to allow the inspector team to hear from Airmen. Topics discussed could focus on a number of things to include morale, leadership or understanding of commander priorities. "When you do see the inspectors, they want to talk to you, but not over a continuity book -- they might ask questions, but it's more for just getting a general climate," Fisher said. "For all Sabers, I encourage you to talk to them. This isn't to keep our secrets. We want them to see how great we are. We are doing our best with what we have here. Be open and don't shy away from the inspectors." Simultaneously with the UEI, Spangdahlem will undergo an unrelated antiterrorism assessment. A group of people from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency will conduct a Joint Staff Integrated Vulnerability Assessment. "This is not a pass-or-fail grade," said Randall Henry, 52nd Fighter Wing Antiterrorism Officer. "The group will be here to look at the installation and how we prepare against a terrorist incident and if something were to happen, how we would respond." Airmen are the eyes and ears of the base, so even if most may not be directly contacted by the assessment team, they could be tested in some regard. "The assessors won't be intrusive, but they will be in bars and restaurants to listen for Operational Security violations to see how our folks conduct themselves off base," Henry said. "They will see what an outsider looking-in could find out and to identify our weaknesses."