Inspection Guide

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How to prepare for an inspection: a guide for Wing DAEs

By: Maj Malcolm Dickinson, CAP, Lt Col Al Hulstrunk, CAP, and Lt Col J.C. Follender-Birns, CAP

From: Malcolm Dickinson

The Wing CC should receive a packet, about a month before the inspection, which contains one sheet for each directorate listing what will be inspected. I would contact the CC and ask to have the AE sheet faxed to you.

Here are some things I would ask if I were inspecting a wing DAE. I suppose no one would have good answers for every single question, but I'd hope they would be able to answer most...

	Do you have copies of CAPF 123, CAPP 124, CAPP 15, and the Yeager tests to furnish to your subordinate units upon request?
	Are your Yeager tests locked up? Can I see?
	Can you account for all copies of the Yeager test which were issued to you? (You should have a log of which test numbers were sent to which squadron, and when; and which ones are still in your locked cabinet.)
	Can I see copies of your recent completed CAPF 125s and 127s?
	Do you have a list of the name, unit number, and location of each squadron and group in your wing?
	Do you have a list of the name and phone number of the AEO for each squadron and group?
	Can you tell me which AEOs have completed their Yeager? Their technician rating in AE? Their Master Rating? Their Crossfield award?
	If you send out memos or materials to squadrons, could you show me copies so I can see what sort of material you are sending out.
	How many of your wing's units participated in the "Aerospace 2000" program last spring?
	How many completed all 10 activities and got the award? (Perhaps you have the listing that was published in CAP News... I think it is in the Sept or Oct issue every year, not sure.)
	Have you called up unit AEOs (or gotten your group AEOs to call them) to encourage them to participate in "Aerospace 2000"?
	Please show me which squadrons returned their annual survey (due 15 December) and which did not.
	Ditto for the semiannual AE survey (due 15 June, I think) and which did not.
	Please show me the summarized results of those surveys.
	You submitted the summary report to your Wing CC and to the NER DCS/AE, didn't you? When? Maybe you have a copy of the cover letter?
	Please show me the announcement you sent out to all squadrons telling them the theme of the AE poster contest and the AE display contest for your next wing conference. How far in advance of the conference was this sent out?
	What did you do during the past 12 months to advance the AE mission? To assist squadron AEOs? To advance the Senior AE program? To advance the External AE program?
	Do you have a file of AE ideas and materials on hand to send out to squadron AEOs who might contact you asking for materials?

From: Al Hulstrunk, Northeast Region DCS/AE

Firstly, just play it cool. Depending on who is inspecting you, the inspector may have only limited knowledge of the process of AE.

Second, is to have your files, at least, looking in order.

Thirdly, be able to answer all of the questions with a 'YES' and an explanation, if necessary.

Here is a list of what you probably should have on hand. If you don't, at least you now have the list, so that if a question arises about any of these regs or forms, you can indicate that you are in the process. This list should provide you with the basics for any inspection of your office.

1. An Activity Report and a Plan of Action from each subordinate unit

2. Brewer Award nominations

3. AE Officer Roster for all units in the Wing

4. Reports - any on External or Internal programs & activities

5. Copies of correspondence with subordinate units and with NER.

6. Yeager awards and plans. (possible training programs?)

7. The materials in the 215 Specialty Track Materials Kit:

	CAPR 50-4, Test Administration & Security.
	CAPR 76-1, Travel of CAP Members via Mil Aircraft
	CAPR 280-2, CAP AE Mission.
	CAPR 52-16, Cadet Training Program
	CAPR 50-17, CAP Sr. Member Training Program
	CAPR 50-20, CAP Model Rocketry Program
	CAPP 14, Staff Duty Analysis Guide (AE portion).
	CAPP 15, AEO Handbook.
	CAPP 215, AEO Specialty Track Study Guide.

8. Aerospace - The Flight of Discovery (Text, Instructor guide, and Student Study Guide)

9. Aerospace - the Challenge (Text & Instructor Guide)

---- All of the above are available from the CAP Bookstore. (800-633-87680 )

10. CAP Supply Depot AE Classroom Materials Catalog (free item)

---- The above is available from CAP Supply Depot (800-858-4370)

CAP Form 8, Requisition for Publications & Blank forms.

CAP Form 13, CAP Aerospace Membership Application & AEM Recruiting Brochure.

CAP Form 23, CAP General Purpose Answer Sheet.

CAP Forms 123 through 127, (Forms related to the Yeager test)

-----Order the above from HQ CAP/MSA, 105 S Hansell St, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6332 (334-953-5051) using a CAPF 8. All are FREE items.

Good luck!

From: J.C. Follender, then New York Wing DAE, regarding her inspection by National HQ in September 1999.

If you been DAE long enough to have written a plan of action, then that is a good place to start. Evaluate it yourself, discuss what was realistic and what wasn't and how you went about accomplishing tasks and what you might do differently given a next time.

Our IG gave us a list of questions that the Inspector would be asking us. (They were xeroxed from the CAP Wing Assessment Guide, Tab C: Aerospace Education) and told to write out answers to these and submit them to him. Sure enough, the Inspector from National (a Senior Training person) had our written response in hand when he came to visit with us.

	Try to have an up to date listing of who the group and squadron AEOs are.
	Try to come up with better answers to the questions than we did.
	Try to log whatever you've done (and when and where). We bought a marble-cover composition book, the kind you can't tear pages out of and therefore is quite credible, and we logged whatever any of us did (I was lucky--I got me an internal and an external officer). Just a cryptic note: visited sq. X's AE fair; sent tests to sq. Y; helped out with the Lindbergh event at ABC airport; met with EAA rep---stuff like that. Dated of course. If you haven't kept one, then start one.