Compliance is not just about the checklist Published Feb. 17, 2009 By Col. Denise Kloeppel 66th Air Base Wing Inspector General HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Air Force Materiel Command's Unit Compliance Inspection is complete and the report is signed. Now, the 66th Air Base Wing Inspector General's Office is working on reporting 2008 status of findings and self-identified deficiencies for the base's self-inspection program. The goal for Hanscom units is to have these items closed or have an Electronic Systems Center commander's approved corrective action plan in progress by May 6. Parallel to this effort, all ESC units, both at Hanscom and across the United States, are working on the 2009 self-inspection program. Collectively, we learned a lot from last year's effort and the 66 ABW IG team is applying these lessons learned as quickly as possible to this year's program. We are doing everything we can to meet the ESC commander intent for 2009, regarding his expectation for compliance using a "back-to-basics and by-the-book" approach to ESC's common, core processes. One of the first orders of business is to acknowledge that compliance and checklists are not one and the same. Compliance is about following laws, DoD directives and instructions day to day, across all aspects of operations and mission-tasking. The checklists are there to assist a unit or person in self-inspecting to determine if they are in compliance with laws, DoD directives and instructions. Do not solely rely on the checklist to determine compliance; rely on knowing the directives to accomplish the mission and look at ways to build compliance in all aspects of operations. As we continue with our compliance efforts, everyone has an opportunity to review their work effort and identify where they can incorporate compliance and self-inspection checklist items into the operations of conducting the mission. If compliance is built-in, self-inspection completion is seamless. The bottom line: Compliance is not only critical to the mission of the Air Force, it is essential.