Building a culture of excellence

  • Published
  • By Col. Scott Hanson
  • 92nd ARW commander
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Excellence is a journey, not a destination. It is important we remember this point as we prepare for an extraordinarily busy summer at Fairchild.

Our first Unit Compliance Inspection since April of 2004 will be a big event. A team from Air Mobility Command's Inspector General is coming July 31 to look at how well we comply with Air Force regulations and policies.

The heart of the inspection will focus on wing, group and unit processes. There are Air Force Instructions that establish those processes and checklists that verify our compliance with those instructions.

We have a lot of work to do between now and then in order to ensure our success in the inspection, and now is the time to prepare. I encourage everyone to review your unit's self-inspection checklist and to conscientiously verify all applicable items. Some may be quick fixes, some may be more time-consuming, but all are important. Compliance with standards reflects both on your professionalism as Airmen and competence in your military specialty.

Concurrent with the UCI, we will also have a Logistics Support Evaluation Program inspection, a safety program evaluation, and an emergency management exercise.

When the IG team leaves, we will have a report card on our Airman's culture of excellence. I am confident the UCI team will be impressed with how well our Professional Expeditionary Airmen conduct business at Fairchild.

But the UCI is not the only thing on our dance card this summer.

During April a headquarters team will review our command post. In June, AMC teams will evaluate our aircrew training and operations, weather operations and environmental compliance. Our buildings, roads, sewers and power systems will also be assessed. During July AMC will inspect our air traffic control and airfield operations.

And let's not forget Skyfest 2007. After a summer of showing AMC how successfully we handle our home-station missions, we will open the base gates and show our friends and neighbors the pride and professionalism that underlie all of our support to winning the Global War on Terrorism.

Outstanding marks on the inspections this summer will validate our Airman's culture of excellence, but excellence is more than just high marks on an inspection.

Being the best at something is success. Being the best you can be is excellence. The pursuit of excellence must never be limited by the nature of the task. All Air Force duty is important. Whether you are a boom operator assisting passengers or passing fuel; a food service apprentice, a maintenance Airman checking composite tool kits or the pharmacy technician sorting prescriptions, you play an important role in the Wing's ability to support Air Force missions. When you strive to be better tomorrow than you were yesterday, you improve the entire team.

This summer will no doubt be a test of our abilities - a test we're sure to pass thanks to core values. I have full confidence that Team Fairchild will continue to set the standard of excellence that is so well known throughout the command and the Air Force.

Excellence In All We Do