So long Inspection Prep! Published Oct. 3, 2014 By Senior Master Sgt. Myra Beyer 9th Reconnaissance Wing Inspector General Office BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Almost a year ago, Team Beale went through a command level inspection known as the Consolidated Unit Inspection (CUI). Do you recall the extra time and effort everyone in your unit put into preparing for that inspection? Did you perform any extra work not part of your normal duties? Are you tired of "painting the grass green" for all of these recurring major inspections? Ladies and gentlemen, the new Air Force Inspection System (AFIS) will forever change the way we view inspections! AFIS shifts the responsibility for oversight of inspections to wing commanders and lessens the reliance on outside inspectors visiting the base. Its purpose is threefold: (1) enables and strengthens wing commanders' effectiveness, saves money and Airmen's time, (2) promotes improved unit performance and (3) identifies issues that interfere with efficiency, compliance and performance while allowing the wing commander to reduce the risk of undetected non-compliance. Additionally, it provides commanders and their Airmen the right information at the right time to assess risk, identify areas of improvement, determine root cause and focus limited resources. Under AFIS, inspection preparation is unnecessary and ineffective. No longer will Airmen have to cram in advance for an upcoming inspection. Instead they will remain constantly under the watchful eye of their commanders. Most inspections will be conducted on a continual basis by the Wing Inspector General Staff augmented by subject-matter experts from the base populace known as the Wing Inspection Team. Commanders will accurately assess their own units' ability to execute the mission, manage resources, lead people and improve performance. A concept that goes along with the new inspection system is "reward the red." The color red lets the IG know your program needs work, you've identified it, and that you are actively fixing it. However, when we see that everything is green and 100% good to go, it prompts us and Air Combat Command's IG to inquire about such a perfect program. If you are worried that we are not prepared for our 2016 Unit Effectiveness Inspection, you are mistaken. Team Beale is ready and has already started working toward our ACC capstone event since the day after our CUI last fall. The Wing IG has been capturing the effectiveness of our wing and reporting it to ACC continuously as our Airmen focus on mission readiness every day for almost a year. Our wing's virtual photo album is already filled with this year's internal (horizontal) inspections, e.g. Active Shooter (February), Wing Self-Assessment (April), Main Shield 14-1 (May), COOP/Weather (July), CBRNE (August) and Main Shield 14-2 (September); external exercises, e.g. Defense Logistics Agency's Oil Spill (March) and PG&E (May); and external (vertical) inspection, e.g. Wounded, Ill and Injured (August). Every Airman is a sensor and innovator. The new Air Force Inspection System relies on you to focus on your part of the mission, to follow your technical orders and instructions, to embrace the ideology that identifying deficiencies is a strength not a weakness, and to document your findings and resolutions in an Air Force-approved self-assessment program. The Air Force has provided a solution, AFIS, to make better use of Airmen's time. Team Beale, you have the knowledge, the tools and the RESPONSIBILITY to ensure mission ready equals inspection ready! Be proud of what you do and most importantly, be innovative!