When the inspection happens is irrelevant, but starts this week Published Sept. 2, 2014 By Sandra Pishner 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. -- When the inspection comes shouldn't matter. Under the new Air Force Inspection System the process is driven by a philosophy that commanders focus on continual mission readiness and not spend time before the IG team visits preparing for inspection readiness. But in case you were interested, the 446th Airlift Wing will receive a visit from the Air Force Reserve Command and Air Mobility Command Inspector General teams Sept. 3-10. In the past year, as the wing's units continuously conducted self-assessments. In the meantime, the headquarters functionals continuously validated the wing's efforts by using a variety of tools, including virtual inspections, exercises, internal inspection reports, daily interactions, and now - a "Capstone" team visit. The AFRC and AMC Inspectors General arriving at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington this month will follow up with unit Airmen on its virtual findings from the past year. They will validate four major graded areas - Accomplishing the Mission, Improving the Unit, Leading People and Managing Resources - and hold forums with unit members concerning Unit Climate Survey actions. The inspection primarily focuses on the Wing Inspection Program, and the effectiveness of the Wing Inspection Team in finding, and fixing, un-detected non-compliance. The concept of the new Unit Effectiveness Inspection is a two to three year cycle with the Wing Inspection Teams performing annual inspections and units performing continuous self-assessments using the Management Internal Control Tool, or MICT, network. "We used to ramp up for an inspection, then we'd come down, then we'd ramp up for another inspection, then we'd come down," said Lt. Col. David Jeske, 446th Airlift Wing, Chief of Inspections. "So now really what the Air Force has asked us to do is to ramp up and stay there. When the inspection comes should be irrelevant."