LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The countdown is on as Team Lackland shifts into higher gears for the upcoming Unit Compliance Inspection.
The team of inspectors is expected to arrive June 14 for what could be up to a 10-day evaluation process.
"We're working hand in hand with the 59th Medical Wing to prep our personnel in addition to insuring that all the population on Lackland is ready for any type of contingency," said Raul Mancha, chief of the 37th Training Wing Exercise Evaluation Team.
There are major changes to this year's UCI: the 37th Training Wing and 59th Medical Wing will be inspected together for the first time instead of separately.
According to the EET, four major accident responses and seven deployment exercises are planned before the UCI in June.
Maj. Dwayne Bowen, EET deputy, emphasized that the Lackland population needs to take part in the exercises to be ready for the June inspection.
"(Everyone must) participate because during the UCI if individuals are seen not doing the proper actions, it's a downgrade for Team Lackland," Major Bowen said.
"This is definitely a Team Lackland UCI. The evaluators don't know what unit you belong to."
Major Bowen said it is EET's goal to insure Team Lackland is ready for any contingency that occurs when responding to a major accident or deployment.
"We want to make sure if the worst case scenario happens we've already seen it during an exercise," said Major Bowen.
Major Bowen said final guidance from Air Education and Training Command on the UCI is still in the works.
"Everybody needs to be flexible," he said. "They need to know that this is going to be different from anything that they've done before, and be prepared to do some different things for this UCI than from what they've done in the past."
Mr. Mancha said the EET team is watching with interest inspections at several other AETC bases prior to Lackland's evaluation, and that the office is depending on more than 220 representatives throughout the installation for their expertise.
"We rely on those subject matter experts to bring those requirements to the table so that when we do an exercise we're inclusive of all those requirements," said Mr. Mancha.
"We don't just do (an exercise) for the 37th or the 59th, but for the (benefit) of all Team Lackland."
Major Bowen also said there are a number of events that are required by regulations on an annual basis that are built into the UCI exercises.
"We're going to do those but as we do them, we're going to focus on June but our focus has to be greater than that," he said.
From a contingency or exercise perspective, "We can do excellent in June but still fail in the real world. Our goal is to prepare Team Lackland to handle the real world, and by doing that, we will be ready for the UCI in June," said Major Bowen.