Commander: Team Tinker ready for multi-command inspection Published Nov. 15, 2013 By Col. Christopher Azzano 72nd Air Base Wing and Installation commander TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The first wave of inspectors from a multi-command inspection team began arriving yesterday and Team Tinker is prepared to show that the Air Force and our nation can count on us. As installation commander, I have witnessed firsthand the hard work and dedication of the men and women who make up the Air Force Materiel Command, Air Combat Command and Air Force Reserve Command units to be inspected between now and Nov. 22. This has not been an easy year for Team Tinker. In May, deadly tornadoes devastated parts of our local community and left many of own homeless. The continuing uncertainty wrought by our nation's fiscal crisis caused the furloughs of more than 14,000 Tinker civilians and most recently, drove a government shutdown. We have certainly had our share of distractions. Through all of these challenges, we never stopped accomplishing the mission, making the most of our available resources, finding ways to improve our organizations and demonstrating a commitment to the Air Force Sustainment Center Leadership Model which enables us to succeed no matter what the constraint. Now we get the chance to show our respective parent command inspectors what we have accomplished and where we intend to go in the future. We have run our self-assessments, scrubbed our checklists and done everything we can to get ready. But no organization is perfect. When there are opportunities for improvement that we may not have identified, and there will be, it is the responsibility of the inspectors to point them out. When we are fully invested as we are in how we serve our nation, it isn't always easy to hear criticism -- even when it is constructive. Please take any constructive criticism in the manner it is intended. If an inspector finds something lacking -- fix it. In cases where there may be a legitimate difference in opinion as to how to move forward -- respectfully use your chain of command and show that your willingness to address an issue is a positive, not a negative. Vince Lombardi said, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." It is also important we recognize that the new Air Force construct for inspections brings with it a new way of doing business for us and the inspection teams. For example, while we expect to have more than 200 multi-command inspectors on site, some inspectors will be looking at our operations virtually. We are in a new era of transparency and that is good for us and the Air Force. Transparency builds trust across organizations, and demonstrates accountability for those vital missions and resources entrusted to our care. Across the installation, we should approach each inspection inject, drop card and request with the same professionalism that is the hallmark of Team Tinker. Positive attitudes, enthusiasm and a sense of urgency are all crucial to a successful inspection. All Tinker leadership is looking forward to seeing that can-do attitude on display throughout the inspection. I'm proud of what Team Tinker continues to accomplish, especially in the four Major Graded Areas that you will find high on many inspectors' priorities this week. I have complete confidence that the inspectors will discover, as I have, that these focus areas mirror the core competencies we pursue every day. For example, this week's Tinker Take Off -- as with nearly every edition of the base newspaper -- includes many examples of Team Tinker's focus in the Major Graded Areas: Executing the Mission (Computer security); Managing Resources (New F135 engine depot space); Improving the Unit (Idea Award feature); and Leading People (Mental Health feature). Inspectors, we welcome you whole-heartedly to Tinker and we look forward to working with you throughout the week on a successful inspection that strengthens our Air Force. Team Tinker, it's your time to shine!