CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
After a demanding nine-day inspection by more than 80 representatives from Air Mobility Command, the 437th Airlift Wing was rated excellent in the Unit Compliance Inspection conducted May 11 to 19.
At the UCI out-brief held at the base theater here May 19, UCI Team Chief Col. Tom Freese addressed Team Charleston.
"Alright, give yourself another round of applause!" he said, followed by an eruption of cheers and whistles from Charleston Airmen celebrating their success. "When I came here the other day, I told your leaders who were assembled in this very room that we were going to take a good, hard look at you. We did," he said.
"Your wing exceeded standards. You guys did a great job," he said.
The inspectors graded wing agencies and each group under the wing separately on a five-tier rating scale, comprising the grades of outstanding, excellent, satisfactory, marginal and unsatisfactory.
According to inspectors, the 437 AW's excellent rating indicates performance or operation exceeds mission requirements, procedures and activities are carried out in a superior manner and resources and programs are very efficiently managed and relatively free of deficiencies. To receive an excellent rating, the unit must demonstrate value added strengths.
Colonel Freese encouraged Team Charleston to continue the practices that produced their recent achievement and relayed news of a new initiative for "no notice" inspections envisioned by Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz and AMC Commander Gen. Arthur Lichte. The idea the Air Force leaders proposed has increased inspection tasking, and will require even greater effort from both inspectors and bases inspected.
"We'll ensure compliance is out there. As a matter of fact, we did our first no notice inspection last week at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany," said Colonel Freese.
He cited dedication to standards and motivation as the keys to success.
"What you have to watch out for is that let down. Compliance is something we should do every day. It just doesn't ramp up for an inspection," he said.
Lt. Col. James Petrick, 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, said the excellent rating in the UCI is a huge success, and his squadron is already implementing new methods to keep compliant.
"The one thing I've got to point out is we implemented a program in the squadron for the UCI called the Airman Leader Program. What we've done is we designated about 14 Airmen, senior airman and below, as Airmen leaders," Colonel Petrick said. "We delegated the authority to them to handle some of the emergency type of actions."
Colonel Petrick said a key to success was the Airmen leaders stepping up and holding a squadron leadership role, providing everyone a chance to both lead and follow.
The Airman Leader Program was also a big hit with the UCI team, added Colonel Petrick.
"They liked it. A couple of the UCI inspectors that came back were really impressed with the Airman Leader Program," he said. "We really don't want it to go away now that the inspection's over. We'd like to use something that we know did well and provide other applications for it and other opportunities."
At the close of the out-brief, Col. John Wood, 437 AW commander, thanked the UCI inspection team for their service and addressed the wing.
"I am very proud of each of you, all of you, for an excellent for the wing. The energy this wing put out is incredible. I look at this as not just us in the uniform; we also commend our civilians. It's a great team effort at Charleston. We're fantastic at what we do, and I'm happy to see that."
UCI EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMERS
Coin Recipients:
437th Airlift Wing: Chap. Capt. Gregory Brunson, Capt. Erica Harris and Shirley Bowen
437th Civil Engineer Squadron: Master Sgt. Michael Patterson, Staff Sgts. Christopher Pruett and Steven Stone
437th Contracting Squadron: Airman 1st Class Thomas Buena
437th Logistics Readiness Squadron: Staff Sgt. Raymond Silva, Airman 1st Class Brady Lane and Darrell Wing
437th Medical Operations Squadron: Master Sgt. George Antolick
437th Maintenance Squadron: Senior Airman Matthew Adelman
Individual Recognition:
437th Aerial Port Squadron: Staff Sgt. Candice Compton and Airman 1st Class Geral Gatlin
437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron: Master Sgt. Ty McColly
437 AW: Staff Sgt. Harold Darden and Jon Stanley
437 CES: Tech. Sgt. Jenae Shanks and Jeffery Morgan
437th Communications Squadron: Staff Sgt. Amos Hoskins,
437th Comptroller Squadron: Master Sgt. Johnny Ashwood
437th Force Support Squadron: Donna Collins and Gloria Stockdale
437 LRS: Tech. Sgt. Tania Rickett, Staff Sgt. Angelique Devor, Senior Airmen Heath Bakken, Shane O'Kelley, Airmen 1st Class Christopher Berg and Leanne Hardin
437th Maintenance Group: Capt. Clinton Varty, Master Sgt. Russell Gardner Jr., Staff Sgt. Ryan Brokaw, Tech. Sgt. Clifford Thebodeau and Dale Cook
437th MXS: Tech. Sgt. Jeramie Banks
437th Operations Group: 1st Lt. Sara Burdon, 2nd Lt. Jocelyn Mitnaul and Senior Airman Jennifer Fuqua,
437th Security Forces Squadron: Airman Brandon Jones
Team Recognition:
437 AMXS: Aircraft Maintenance Mobility Team
437 AW: Command Post, Public Affairs and the Wing Trusted Agent Team
437 CE: Alarms Team, Fire Emergency Services Operations, Prevent and Training Teams, Power Production Team, Quality Assurance Team and the Resources Flight
437 CS: Automated Data Processing Equipment Team and the Plans and Implementation Team
437 LRS: Fuels Refueling Maintenance Team, Fuels Training and Support Team, Logistics Plans Team, Mission Critical Aircraft Parts Element and the Supply Mobility Element
437 MXG: Documentation Team
437 MXS: Maintenance Mobility Team, Munitions Team
437th Maintenance Operations Squadron: Maintenance Operations Control Team
437 SFS: Installation Augmentation Coordination Team
Emergency Managament Inspection Exceptional Peformers:
Individual Recognition
437 SFS: Staff Sgt. Meghan Donahue
Team Recognition:
437 SFS: Dorchester Entry Control Point Team and the Dorchester Search Pit Team.