53rd Wing up to UCI challenge

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Months of preparation at the 53rd Wing paid off as the wing received positive feedback for their Unit Compliance Inspection held May 9 -14.

"While the statistics are interesting, what is not told there is the countless hours of preparation that went into this inspection," said Col. Michael Gantt, 53rd Wing commander. "That effort should be memorialized in becoming your normal/standard operating procedures; don't go back to the 'old ways' of doing business...this is the new standard."

The results for the UCI were: 150 complies or 79 percent; 34 complies with comment or 18 percent; and seven does not comply or three percent. The wing fared better in all three categories than the Air Combat Command average. The wing also had more than 40 individuals listed as "superior performers" by the UCI team.

"Most notable was the [Inspector General] comment that our Airmen 'understand our mission, how it contributes to today's fight and everyone they interacted with demonstrated pride in their unit,'" Colonel Gantt said.

The 53rd Wing serves as the focal point for Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance and aircrew training devices. The wing is responsible for operational testing and evaluation of new equipment and systems proposed for use by these forces.

Also noted by the commander was the amount of preparation the wing personnel poured into the inspection.

The units went through several rounds of self-inspections starting back as early as September 2009. The inspections included a mock UCI team with subject matter experts.

"We had those teams physically go to the squadrons and perform a UCI," said Lt. Col. Christopher Myers, 53rd Wing director of staff. "They wrote up their results and presented them to commanders so the squadrons could have something to look against."

After the mock inspection, the wing continued using checklists and video teleconferences to keep up to date with how units at both Eglin and Tyndall were improving.

The wing's last UCI inspection occurred in 2005 with similar results: 81 percent complies; 17 percent complies with comment; two percent does not comply.

"The men and women of the 53rd Wing certainly worked very hard to prepare for our recent Air Combat Command UCI," said Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Shimley, 53rd Wing staff superintendent. "This was an excellent opportunity for all of us to showcase our mission and our outstanding capabilities. The wing's fantastic results coupled with the highly complementary inspector comments illustrate just how well we collectively met this challenge."