top story>>Preparing for CUI: Part I

By Greg Call
19th Airlift Wing Operations Security

“What is a CUI?”

This is the first in a series of articles to inform the base populace and extended Little Rock community about our upcoming inspections and exercises. Through these articles, we hope to educate Team Little Rock about the expectations, preparations, and execution of our exercise and inspection programs.

A Combined Unit Inspection is one of the single most significant inspections that a base can receive and is a combination of many higher headquarters inspections. The CUI concept is brand new and is a way to give back time to Commanders and Airmen by combining many inspections into one. The 19th Airlift Wing CUI will be like an inspection on steroids, with the following inspections happening all at the same time: Compliance Inspection (typical inspection from a UCI), Heath Services Inspection, Standardization and Evaluation Program for Weather Operations, Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Compliance and Management Program Inspection, Airfield Operations Compliance Inspection, Metrology and Calibration Engineering Inspection, Logistics Compliance Assessment Program Inspection, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inspection, Real Property Accountability Inspection, and the Judge Advocate Article 6 Inspection.

So when is the 19th AW receiving its CUI? The CUI starts Sept. 20, where over the course of nine days, 200 Air Mobility Command inspectors from Scott Air Force Base, Il., and Air Force Inspectors will evaluate and inspect all groups and units on their day-to-day compliance with executive orders, DoD directives, Air Force and MAJCOM instructions, local supplements and Operating Instructions and by-law programs such as the Voting Assistance Program and Sexual Harassment Education and Prevention.

So what should you, as a member of Team Little Rock, expect to do as we get prepared for our upcoming CUI? First, we have to clearly define our requirements through regulations and ask ourselves this simple question: “Do we comply?” Being honest in your unit’s self-assessment is key and commanders have to be directly involved. Second, we will measure our success through self-assessment checklists within the new Air Force Management Internal Control Toolset. Your group and squadron CUI representatives are currently knee deep in this self assessment MICT process. Everything contained within these MICT checklists will cover what the AMC inspectors are looking for. Your Air Force Specialty Code functional managers ensured this by uploading their most current checklists to the MICT website. 19th AW Inspector General office has validated and disseminated each of these checklists to group and unit level MICT representatives. Your unit MICT program managers should be educating you on your unit SIP. Third, we will analyze our procedures and processes through exercises, Functional Managers Staff Assistance Visits and compliance spot-checks conducted by 19th AW Inspector General personnel. Fourth, the 19th AW will use our partner wings at the base and conduct a mini compliance inspection on June 24-28. We have to learn from our previous inspection write-ups, SAV write-ups, suggestions and exercise feedback and then begin the process again by returning to the original question: “Do we comply?”

Bottom line: Attitude is everything! As Air Force members, we are already “can do” people. We overcome adversity every day and succeed where others would easily fail. So what can you do right now? Ask tough questions about yourself and your programs such as: “What would an inspector say if they came right now?”, “What do I already know I need to fix but haven’t done so?”, “What can I do to make my program stronger?” and “Who do I need to team-up with in order to resolve this problem?”

Get ready Black Knights. September will be a whirl-wind and the time leading up to it will be marked with long hours, exhaustive repetitions of preparations, and a lot of management oversight. Through a positive attitude, team work, clear communication and direct involvement, the Black Knights can show the AMC/IG what we already know: that we are the best airlift wing in AMC!

Combat Airlift!