After months of work, inspection begins Monday Published Sept. 9, 2011 By Kelly Deichert Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- After months of preparation, base officials say Maxwell-Gunter is prepared for its compliance inspection, or CI, which begins Monday. Inspectors from Air Education and Training Command will review how Air University and the 42nd Air Base Wing comply with Air Force instructions. Besides examining numerous functional work areas, the inspection team will also look at such areas as electronic records management, the Air Force fitness program, information technology, self-inspections and training. The inspection will continue through Sept. 16, and results will be announced Sept. 19. "Compliance inspections are all about dotting the I's and crossing the T's, making sure we're compliant with" Air Force instructions and applicable guidance and policy, said Lt. Gen. David Fadok, Air University commander and president. "It's a lot of effort." Maxwell-Gunter has been working hard for more than six months, aiming for an "outstanding" rating. "I've been talking to folks, and they're telling me we're ready," Fadok said. "Having been a former major command inspector general and having been on the giving end of these inspections, I can guarantee you that the 'make or break' is when the inspection is ongoing, and the attitudes that inspectors sense from our team. "If we are a strong sat(isfactory), we could become an excellent with a very positive attitude; if we are a strong excellent, we could become an outstanding with a very positive attitude," he said. "We just have to project that positive 'can-do' attitude, that commitment to a culture of compliance." Since units with "outstanding" ratings have proven sustainability that far exceeds standards, AU and the wing have built compliance into their missions. "We view compliance as part of unit culture and DNA," said Col. John Neal, AU's inspector general. Neal encourages all participants, regardless of rank, to learn from the inspectors. "They've seen outstanding units. They know the activities that outstanding organizations do," he said. "I'm ready to learn from them (and ask) 'what can I do better?'" Through the self-inspection process, some agencies have identified deficiencies, said Lt. Col. Craig Drescher, the 42nd ABW CI project officer. "It's OK not to be perfect," he said. "Be honest, and have a plan of how to fix things." Since AU's academic mission is unique in the Air Force, it will be judged on how it complies with its own instructions. Neal sees this as a potential advantage, since AU has a deeper understanding of its instructions and how to exceed expectations. "It's only an advantage if we take advantage of our uniqueness," he said. Overall, leaders said they are confident the installation is ready for the inspection. "People have put in a lot of work," Drescher said. "On a regular basis we're self-inspecting and seeing we're compliant with Air Force instructions." "I've witnessed everyone pulling their weight to see that we succeed," Neal said. "We're ready to showcase what we do here."