Wing busy preparing for UCI excellence

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  • By Nick Stubbs
  • Thunderbolt editor
MacDill AFB, Fla --  There are a couple of ways to do things: the easy way, and the right way, and new Airmen who have not come to appreciate that old saw are getting an education from their seniors, as Unit Compliance Inspection preparations are in full swing.

Scheduled for Aug. 3 through 11, a team of Air Force inspectors will descend on MacDill, going through the 6th Air Mobility Wing's units with a uncompromising eye for detail and armed with a checklist that rivals a small city's phone book.

How will the Wing perform is a matter of preparation, and if you ask around, some, like Master Sgt. Fitzroy Howe, who along with Tech. Sgt. Kristi Cooley, is spearheading the preparation efforts for the 6th Security Forces Squadron, will tell you: "We'll be ready."

Emergency response and being first responders is a key element of the Security Forces role, so there is a lot of preparation emphasis in those areas, said Sergeant Howe. But administrative chores and documentation are not forgotten, and the squadron has been focused on those areas, as well.

"It's a combination of things and while we still have some work to do (preparing), we will be ready when the inspectors have boots on the ground," he said.

Sergeant Howe said there are 23 functional areas on which Security Forces will be rated. The importance of the job during an emergency makes it a critical element of the Wing, but Team MacDill is an alloy of many, including the 6th Maintenance Squadron. It will get a sort of double-whammy during the inspections, as not only will it be subjected to the UCI, but also the Logistics Standardization and Evaluation Program.

The LSEP evaluates the methods and procedures maintenance personnel employ for the various jobs within the unit, and they demonstrate by doing.

"The LSEP inspectors want to see you doing it," said Chief Master Sgt. Tyrone Schmidt, who is a lead in the preparation for the upcoming inspections.

That involves evaluators looking over the shoulder or Airmen doing their jobs, which can be a bit unnerving for some, he said.

"We focus a lot of getting them (unit personnel) ready and comfortable with having someone hovering right over them while they are working," said Sergeant Schmidt.

"We're doing well getting ready, and we're uncovering areas we can be better at and making adjustments."

"On track," is how Paul Chong, 6th Force Support Squadron superintendent and UCI coordinator describes his unit's preparation for the inspection.
The squadron is running a UCI check list, as well as an extensive self check list to get ready, said Mr. Chong. 

"Documentation is key," said Mr. Chong. "The IGs are 'show me' kind of people; they want you to be able to back up what you say." 
That documentation will be there and at the ready, he said. 

"For the 6th Communications Squadron, the inspections are intensive," said Senior Master Sgt. Torrance McGee, element chief and UCI coordinator. The squadron is using a 5,000-question check list to prepare, and it does double duty of drilling personnel not only on the UCI checks, but also Air Force Instructions. 

Sergeant McGee, along with fellow coordinators: First Lt. Gilberto Perez, quality assurance; Master Sgt. Elizabeth Guse, unit fitness manager; Master Sgt. Brent Thiery,6 CS focal point; and Tech. Sgt. Angela Saunders, unit training manager; want personnel to be able to address all questions they inspectors may ask. 

"If they inspectors ask it, we'll be ready to answer," said Sgt. McGee. "Our goal is to score another 'outstanding.' "