Defining a new role for 'The IG'

by Senior Master Sgt. Angie Sarchet
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

8/22/2013 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.  -- The Air Force modified the inspection process in June, greatly changing how Airmen at local units are evaluated when they are visited by the headquarters Inspector General Team.

The changes usher in a new way units will interact with IG inspectors. Under the new Air Force Inspection System the process is driven by a philosophy that commanders focus on mission readiness and not spend time before the IG team visits preparing for "inspection readiness". The new reality for all units is units that are mission-ready should already be inspection-ready.

"This system empowers our wings so they are more focused on getting their mission accomplished, managing their resources well, leading their people and improving their unit," says Col. Kyle Voigt, AMC deputy inspector general.

Now a wing's compliance and readiness is the responsibility of the wing commander, not the headquarters IG. The role of inspectors at major commands switches to validating the wing commander's unit self-assessments and reporting.

AMC officials will accomplish the command's first Unit Effectiveness Inspection under the new Air Force Inspection System at Little Rock AFB, Ark., in September.

"The MAJCOM visit is not an all-or-nothing event about grading a wing's performance during inspection week," says Col. Andrew Molnar, AMC's IG Team Chief for the Little Rock visit. "The headquarters IG will simply confirm what the wing IG should already know based on its long-term program of continuous compliance and local audit efforts. In that respect, an IG visit will be just another piece of a commander's continuous assessment and inspection process."

As wings self-assess, the headquarters experts will continuously validate a wing's efforts by using a variety of tools including virtual inspections, daily interactions, and small team visits.

"This will create a 'photo-album' of the wing's performance during the 24-30 month evaluation cycle," said Voigt. Air National Guard units will be on 48-60 month cycles, he said.

AMC inspection officials released the 2014 inspection schedule in June. The goal is to conduct at least one Unit Effectiveness Inspection by the end of October 2014.

First Up: Little Rock AFB's Black Knights. "We have laid out clear criteria for the Little Rock capstone visit as to what defines success for the wing and success for the headquarters," says Molnar. The new schedule represents "proof of concept" for the new inspection system, he said.

While the new IG process may reveal some growing pains, leaders say they believe the investment in mission readiness will increase efficiency and compliance, return precious time back to Airmen while reducing the inspection costs and footprint.

Not all inspections have changed, officials say. The Nuclear surety mission, for example, remains under previously established processes.