by Airman 1st Class Hailey Staker
18th Wing Public Affairs
1/13/2014 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- The
18th Wing is preparing for a Mission Focused Exercise, formerly known
as a Local Operational Readiness Exercise, set for Jan. 27-30 here.
An MFE is an inspection that incorporates unit self-assessment along
with the traditional survive and operate exercises that the wing is used
to.
"An MFE is a scenario-based exercise used to assess readiness, evaluate
the validity of unit self-assessment programs and a commander's tool to
limit the risks of undetected non-compliance through inspection in any
of the new four major graded areas," said Senior Master Sgt. Matthew
Calisi, 18th Wing Inspector General inspections superintendent. "These
areas are managing resources, leading people, improving the unit and
executing the mission."
Not only is this exercise different from previous exercises, this MFE is
part of the revised inspection program the Air Force implemented in
Oct. 2013.
"This is a complete paradigm shift in the Air Force Inspection System,"
Calisi said. "The Pacific Air Forces Inspection General team will no
longer be coming in large numbers to conduct Operational Readiness
Inspections. Instead, the 18th Wing Inspection Team will take advantage
of normal operations to conduct inspections, or conduct an MFE to
inspect specific objectives, and periodically a PACAF/IG team will come
in much smaller numbers to inspect our inspection team in action."
Calisi added one of the key differences in this new program is that a
LORE was a large scale wing exercise, and that the MFEs can be much
smaller in size and scope, giving them the ability to focus on a
particular area.
The goal of the MFE is to enforce unit self-assessment year-round,
keeping units accountable for non-compliance and reporting how each unit
prepares to solve the problems through self-analysis and
implementation.
"Units will be tasked to evaluate their own compliance and report on
themselves throughout the year," Calisi said. "WIT members will focus
more on inspecting the integrity of unit self-assessments, adequacy of
problem solving efforts and corrective actions being implemented. Airmen
will find themselves spending more time focusing on their jobs and
continuously improving their units and processes."
Not only is there a new process Kadena Airmen must learn during future
exercises, the WIT is preparing themselves for what is to come.
"The WIT is spending time training and learning the new inspection
process, and to determine the best way to implement the new Commanders
Inspection Program," Calisi said. "The wing as a whole will have to
learn their roles and expectations for the CCIP to be successful.
Commanders must foster a culture for identifying non-compliance and unit
members making self-assessment must be encouraged to be candid."
The implementation of this program will take approximately one year to
complete, and the first MFE will be much like a typical LORE because it
will be a wing-wide effort.
"Future MFEs will continue to change form and be tailored to what the
wing commander feels is needed to continuously improve the wing's
readiness," Calisi said. "One of the main goals is to spend less time
preparing for exercises."
Calisi encourages Airmen to bring a positive attitude to this MFE and to
be flexible as this system will be challenging to adjust to.
For more information regarding the upcoming MFE, mandatory briefings
will be held at the Keystone Theater Jan. 14 at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and
Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
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