Q-and-A with Kunsan IG: All about the CI Plus

  • Published
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Because inspectors during the April consolidated unit inspection are here to assess the overall program compliance, they can walk into any unit at any time and ask to be briefed on a program. This includes everything from operations security to records management.

Maj. Brett Rurka, 8th Fighter Wing inspector general, said to focus on adherence to Air Force instructions (AFIs), policies and procedures, and execution of the program to ensure compliance. Additionally, the inspectors will evaluate each unit's execution of Headquarters Air Force, major command, local checklists and overall historical data of program management.

Q-and-A with Kunsan's IG

Why are we combining all these inspections and exercises?
The Air Force Chief of Staff and commanders are consolidating inspections, assessments and staff assistance visits as a joint effort to give wing commanders "white space" during the calendar year. This allows them more time to focus on mission tasks while also reducing manpower and temporary duty costs. Each major command inspector general acts as a "gatekeeper" for helping schedule these.

What are the top 3 tips you have?
1) Know your material. Don't try to guess or talk around the subject -- inspectors will see right through that. If you don't know the answer, find someone who does and get an answer. Be sure to follow up as quickly as possible.
2) Present yourself, your program and your organization with pride and confidence, but be humble. Render professional customs and courtesies -- acknowledge the inspectors' presence, greet them and be helpful getting them the information they are seeking. DON'T try to hide or avoid them.
3) Rehearse the presentation of your briefing. When an inspector approaches you, don't wait for them to ask you questions -- be proactive and sell your program. They can walk into any unit at any time, so be prepared.

How should people respond to an emergency management exercise (EME)?
Our attitude should be "All In." If you see an EME scenario going on, whether it's an accident scene, casualties or suspicious activities, jump into the situation with confidence and respond with the same sense of urgency and emotional involvement like this was real-world and it was your friend lying there. If you can see the incident scene, exercise evaluation team (EET) members DO see you.

When you respond, use all the real-world communication tools such as calling 911 or your commanders or supervisors directly to help convey information or whoever else you need to notify so the process keeps going. Just make sure you begin all communication with "exercise exercise exercise."

Don't try to avoid or evade the scene because you have an appointment, briefing or meeting, even if means you'll have to meet with your commander! Leadership acknowledges EME involvement and understands it is a priority. You will NOT get in real-world trouble if you are actively engaged with the EME and miss a duty ... the EME response is your duty to the wing commander.

People who obviously avoid the scene will be noted as discrepancies.

Don't avoid the scene because you're intimidated or scared of "messing it up." They want to see you demonstrate a sense of urgency and a realistic emotional and physical response to a situation and carry it to a logical real-world conclusion.

This might include self-aid and buddy care and taking command of the scene as the senior-ranking individual until emergency responders arrive! Absolutely recruit and demand participation from others around you and around the incident.

React to what you see and seek the obvious clues to help determine what's going on in the situation. For example, if the role player is unresponsive, that is a symptom or inject in itself.

Don't try to guess what the inspector's intent might be and don't overthink the inject. You can ask them questions to clarify the unknown, but they will not give you guidance on follow up actions. DO WHAT YOU WOULD DO REAL WORLD!

What preparation has gone into getting ready for the CI?
We've sent teams to Osan and they sent teams here; inspecting each other's programs gave us a valuable outside look. We're two different wings, but we have the same mission so this joint effort definitely paid dividends. One team, one fight.

- Two two-day trips where each wing sent up to 80 individuals each day to inspect the other wing's programs and EMEs, totaling about 13,000 man-hours each wing commander dedicated to the joint effort.
- Both wing commanders charged their personnel and program managers to cross-talk and compare program execution and CI preparation efforts. This not only served to solidify a unified front for CI prep, but also for real-world mission execution.
- The generic philosophy is that in order to be mission ready, you must be compliant, so the CI prep and readiness prep go hand in hand.
- The inspector general from each base, Rurka from Kunsan and Lt. Col. Steven Harrold from Osan, helped facilitate the CI prep processes.
- Unit commanders focused efforts to ensure unit compliance with mission requirements and Headquarters Air Force, PACAF and local checklists.