Inspection wrap-up: Q&A with vice commander Published Oct. 26, 2012 By Bryan Magaña 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Last month the 419th Fighter Wing completed a Consolidated Unit Inspection, which included a compliance inspection and Logistics Compliance Assessment Program inspection. During the compliance inspection, Air Force Reserve Command and Air Combat Command teams assessed the wing's compliance with laws, directives and instructions. 419th Public Affairs recently sat down with Col. Patrick Wade, 419th FW vice commander, to talk about how Airmen should view inspections like these. Overall, how did the wing fare on the inspection? Thanks to the hard work of every person in the wing, we demonstrated we are compliant with Air Force Instructions. Our overall score was "Satisfactory," which is terrific. Our success reflects the dedication of our folks, and I want to congratulate everybody. We had a few shortcomings, and we're going to address those; but the things we did well, we'll continue to do. The inspection gave us a chance to really focus on what's required of the job. We had knowledgeable inspectors who provided some great guidance. They were able to give us examples of other successful programs across the Air Force that we can implement. What does "Satisfactory" mean? "Satisfactory" means we're compliant with AFIs. But the score encompasses a wide range; there's a low and a high "Satisfactory," and the 419th was near the top. We had several shops marked "Excellent" and "Outstanding," and very few below satisfactory. That's a huge deal. The term "Satisfactory" might sound a lot like getting a C in school, but it really means we've met Air Force standards, and in many cases we excelled. We certainly set benchmarks here at Hill AFB for other units to emulate. How was this inspection unique? In many cases we were inspected alongside our active-duty counterparts in the 388th Fighter Wing. Across the board, inspectors repeatedly said we are very well integrated. Since we live Total Force Integration every day, it's easy to think we can do better, but it's nice to hear an outsider's perspective. They were impressed with the way Hill's Reserve and active duty fighter wings have integrated. Even those units that aren't formally integrated with active duty, such as the 419th and 75th Mission Support Groups, received praise from the inspectors. It's obvious that we're working well together. How can Airmen prepare for the next inspection? Following any inspection, we need to look at the report and see what we can do better. Inspectors ought to be able to show up anytime and know that we're compliant all the time. Our hard work wasn't just "prep" for inspection; it's what we do all the time. It's important to understand that these inspections are not only looking at our ability to be compliant, but to stay compliant. Stay connected - Join the 419th on Facebook and YouTube