189th Airlift Wing makes the grade during Unit Effectiveness Inspection Published Dec. 9, 2016 By Senior Airman Kayla Edwards 189th Airlift Wing Public Affairs LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The Air Education and Training Command Inspector General team arrived on Little Rock Force base on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 to begin the Unit Effectiveness Inspection for the 189th Airlift Wing and 314th Airlift Wing. The UEI or Capstone Inspection, as it is also called, is a validation of the commander's inspection program by checking for undetected noncompliance. The goal of the Air Force Inspection System is to focus on mission effectiveness and not inspection readiness. "We want Airmen to focus on being mission ready, not inspection ready," said Master Sgt. Rosemarie Sauvage, the 189th Self-Assessment Program Manager. "Historically, unit inspections were snapshots of what we were doing, but this UEI is about seeing the entire picture," she said. Sauvage explained that the inspection is also about encouraging continuous process improvement. The Air Force Inspection System was designed to encourage Airmen at every level to assess their work centers and processes to identify any issues that may be present with programs. The inspection team within the IG office validates and verifies the shop level assessments completed by Airmen to detect deficiencies and work with wing leadership to help address those issues. "Everyone is empowered to be part of process improvement," Sauvage stated. Capt. Shalin Gieson, the 189th AW director of exercises, also explained that the AFIS not only identifies problems, but encourages Airmen to identify solutions. "This is a strong program and embracing the changes that this process has brought to our inspection process is the key to making it successful," Gieson said. Capt. Gieson acknowledges that this is a new way of viewing inspections for many Airmen, especially Guard members, who have previously been accustomed to diligently preparing for inspections and making sure all the ducks were in a row before the inspection team appeared. "It's a continual cycle of inspection and so there's no need to prepare," he said. Overall the 189th AW exceeded expectations. While the inspection team has left, we must continue to excel in all aspects of the wing, practicing continuous process improvement and ensuring each Airmen is fully qualified to perform their duties.