Kadena undergoes its first UEI

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephen G. Eigel
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Kadena Air Base is scheduled to have a unit effectiveness inspection Jan. 26-30.

This biennial inspection evaluates readiness, economy, efficiency, and the state of discipline.

The Pacific Air Forces Inspector General team is trying to gauge the 18th Wing Air Force Instruction compliance through four major graded areas and has been evaluating Kadena on managing resources, leading people, improving the unit, and executing the mission during mission focused exercises since January 2014.

"The main emphasis of the UEI is AFI compliance," said Lt. Col. Chad Cook, 18th Wing inspector general. "To prepare, just do your job and tell your supervisors when you can't by using the self-assessment checklists in MICT."

The new evaluation system is completely different than the previous types of inspections such as the operational readiness inspection and unit compliance inspection.

"The UEI is a whole new process for inspection," said Cook. "We are not trying to just paint the grass green for two weeks a year and spend countless hours and resources preparing for the inspection."

The UEI measures the units actual readiness at any given point over a two year cycle through Management Internal Control Toolset and other wing and unit level inspections and exercises.

Due to these efforts by the local IG and wing, the PACAF IG team typically has 80 percent of the inspection complete prior to arrival. 

"We have been evaluating MICT through thread pulls and task evaluations constantly so that when the PACAF IG team comes all they have to do is go around and make sure all the data is correct," said Maj. Daniel Uger, 18th Wing director of wing inspections.

The key to the UEI is not perfection but to have a plan to fix the things that are not possible due to manning, budget, or other factors that influence day-to-day operations.

The UEI is an external inspection intended to give the Air Force a story book of the wing over a 24 month period.