Self-inspection process vital to mission success Published Sept. 30, 2009 By Gen. Donald Hoffman WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- We need more vitality in our self-inspection process. I see pockets of excellence, but also many areas where IG inspections or SAVs discover things that should have been self-discovered by the unit. Continuous improvement is part of our culture. We often inherit situations where compliance has lapsed, and on our watch, lapses can occur when we get pulled in multiple directions and have to balance competing priorities. Effective self-inspection is the mechanism that corrects these lapses. It provides Commanders with situational awareness to successfully identify, prioritize, and enforce corrective actions. It helps units accomplish their mission in a context of day-to-day compliance with statute and policy. Of course it also provides everyone with confidence to face whatever no-notice inspection comes their way. AFMC is refining guidance on self inspection, but don't wait for that ... here are some concepts that have worked for me over the years: Thirty-three years ago, Lt Hoffman was told that he was the squadron ground safety officer ... my first additional duty! I was directed to the incumbent who told me how he did it and introduced me to his continuity book which included a self-inspection section and checklist. I would run that checklist quarterly and to make sure I didn't get myopic in my assessment, I would swap with a sister squadron now and then to buddy-inspect them and vice-versa. To keep the checklist current, I would read all IG write-ups of other units in the MAJCOM and cut-and-paste anything involving ground safety into my self-inspection book. I would make pen-and-ink changes to my checklist to make sure we would not have the same write-up and I would assess and embrace best practices. In other jobs, this opportunity repeated itself over the years, even as the Air Force focus on self-inspection waxed and waned. Later, as an Assistant Operations Officer, I had the duty of Self-Inspection Monitor for the entire squadron and I worked in a similar manner to make sure all functional areas and additional duties were actively self-inspecting, embracing cross-flow and cross-tell information, and keeping their checklists current. We would peak for announced inspections, but remained engaged all the time to be ready for the no-notice inspections. While I remain most comfortable with the physical presence of a Continuity Book, technology may offer additional techniques for this process, but the basic principles remain the same: The IG will arrive and they will use a checklist to inspect. They freely share this checklist ahead of time. Successful units will make sure they have an effective self-inspection culture to always be prepared. Learning from others is key to continuous improvement. Make sure all areas are covered with a primary and alternate so the program does not hibernate while one person deploys. When looking at write-ups, especially your own, conduct a thorough Root Cause Analysis so that you deploy the correct countermeasures to fix the problem. The mission of the Air Force is not to pass inspections ... it is to Fly, Fight and Win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace. Inspections look at what is important to get the mission done and to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory guidance. Thank you for your attention on this area. General Hoffman