Fight the war (not the IG) Published Jan. 21, 2010 By Col. Gary Goldstone 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In a statement to Chn. 2 news Jan. 17, Maj. Melissa Steckler, who was on her way to a staging area in Florida with aeromedical crews from the 375th Air Mobility Wing, said that after seeing the devastation in Haiti on the news she was honored to be able to help in some way to relieve the suffering. She said it meant a lot that "this was our job and that we can help [the people of Haiti]." That job is to configure Air Force aircraft for transport of patients from the front lines of war zones, and in this case, disaster zones, for medical care back in the United States. Major Steckler's team had just a few hours notice before they were packed and headed to the passenger terminal to be manifest on a C-17 along with 11 pallets of medical cargo destined for Haiti. That type of quick response and can-do attitude is what the men and women of Team Scott display time and time again. We should be proud as we respond to numerous requests for support and organized the tremendous airlift and resources needed to help the people of Haiti. I can't help but compare our efforts in support of Haiti to our upcoming exercise and inspection, which truly focuses on our ability to deploy in support of our nation's requirements. Being ready doesn't happen in an instant, it takes training and practice and knowledge of how things work ... as well as finding quick solutions when they don't! And like Major Steckler observed, it's an honor and privilege to deploy and be of assistance, whether it's to our fellow servicemembers or other nations in distress. The only difference is that during an inspection there are people watching everything we do and say, observing how we respond and overcome issues, and then giving us a grade. It can make some feel a little nervous to be evaluated as we run through our checklists and ensure we've done all that we are supposed to do. But, the best advice I can offer is to remember that the Inspector General teams are there to help us and do not intentionally set out to "fail" anyone. They're on our side and will encourage us in the right direction. Make no mistake though, we have a responsibility to know our tasks and perform them in an outstanding manner. I know we will! From observing other units undergo inspections, I've collected a few suggestions for all of us when interacting with our evaluators: Don't fight the scenario. The scenarios are designed to test abilities from the mission essential task list. Some of these tasks may not seem realistic or likely to happen, but rest assured they are all designed that way for a reason, normally to push for a certain outcome and to ensure we can demonstrate our competence. The IG wants us to succeed but can't give us the answers. Feel free to ask questions if you don't understand a question, but don't ask "what are you looking for." That is for us to figure out. You are expected to respond accordingly during all scenarios. Sell the inspector on what you are doing. Don't assume they see everything. Talk them through your process/procedures and explain things you have already accomplished when they were not in the area. Bottom line: Make it obvious you know what you are doing. Never argue with the IG. Complete the task and then route the issue or concern through your chain of command. Show a SENSE OF URGENCY in everything that you do! You are there to prove your wartime capabilities. Show the IG that you take the inspection seriously! If we will remember to do these few things, then we can focus our time and energy on fighting the war and not the IG. I stand before you confident in our abilities ... Air Power!