IMU and WMU being pushed out by NHQ

[Short Field]

I have seen signing in people at a mission base take absolutely forever using the IMU.  The reason was the person at the keyboard verbalized every command or step, talked really slow, wanted to chat personally with each person, used the slowest way possible to enter the data when shortcuts were available, and typed about 6 words a minute.  A competent person running the sign-in can process people almost as fast as just using a sign-in sheet.  Add in the additional safety consideration that the IMU is validating each person's qualifications at sign-in and not just relying on a paper 101 that may be invalid.

If you use technology, you have to train and select people who can use it.  The 87 year old Senior Member who loves to help out and use to sign in people (i.e. looked at the member's membership card and 101card, then watched them sign in on the sign-in sheet) might not be the best person running sign-in now.

[Short Field]

I am not aware of a requirement to be a IC to set up a mission to train on in the IMU.  That has to be a fairly new requirement if it exists as I have helped lots of non-ICs set up the IMU and practice on it using ONLY their CAPIDs. 

If you download a current database with existing missions on it then go into LOCAL mode on the IMU, you should be able to practice to your hearts content with no problems at all.   

[Short Field]

The IMU is RIDGED because it was designed around a checklist.  If you following the steps correctly in the IMU, you are actually following the checklist.  Some people don't like to follow checklists and that really gets them in trouble with the IMU.  Paper is really nice to use as it does not have any internal error checking routines and does not care if you are missing data, put it in the wrong block, or incorrectly add up your numbers.

[arajca]

"Should" and "Are" are two very different words.

If there is a way for a non-IC (i.e. MSA, CUL, LSC) to set-up a mission in LOCAL mode, it is well hidden.

[arajca]

The IMU is RIDGED because it was designed around a checklist.  If you following the steps correctly in the IMU, you are actually following the checklist.  Some people don't like to follow checklists and that really gets them in trouble with the IMU.  Paper is really nice to use as it does not have any internal error checking routines and does not care if you are missing data, put it in the wrong block, or incorrectly add up your numbers.

Reality - sometimes you just don't have all the data when IMU needs it. Oops. No-Go. Fine - where's the paper so I can get this show in the air.

[davidsinn]

The IMU is RIDGED because it was designed around a checklist.  If you following the steps correctly in the IMU, you are actually following the checklist.  Some people don't like to follow checklists and that really gets them in trouble with the IMU.  Paper is really nice to use as it does not have any internal error checking routines and does not care if you are missing data, put it in the wrong block, or incorrectly add up your numbers.

Reality - sometimes you just don't have all the data when IMU needs it. Oops. No-Go. Fine - where's the paper so I can get this show in the air.

I found that this states it pretty well:

In theory the difference between practice and theory is due to practical considerations that theorists find it impractical to fit into their theories. In practice, theory uses the practice of theorising about practical matters, while not noticing that the theoretical method practically distorts the theory beyond application to practice.


Theoretically then the practical facts are that the theory is in practice good for predicting what happens in theory, but impractical as a theory with direct implications for practice, except where theory states that the practice is sufficiently close to the theory to make any difference for all practical purposes theoretically zero.


In practice this does not happen very often.

To sum it up:

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

[Camas]

^ And this couldn't be done with a spreadsheet?

In time that's probably gonna happen. But in the  WMU everyone has access to it. A spreadsheet would probably be kept a big secret by wing people unless someone took the time to post it on the group or wing website. Lots of possibilities but your point is valid.

[Short Field]

If there is a way for a non-IC (i.e. MSA, CUL, LSC) to set-up a mission in LOCAL mode, it is well hidden.

Sorry guys.  I just downloaded the latest update to the the IMU3 program and installed it on my computer.  Then I downloaded the latest version of the wing's IMU database.  I then logged into the IMU using the CAPID and birthday of a person who is ES rated as a MS, MSA, and CUL.  That person is NOT a Flight Release Officer nor do they hold a Wing position.  They are a squadron asst. PDO.

I first created a new Incident (SAR requested by the USAF).  I then signed in a crew (MP, MO, & MS) and aircraft, wrote a task (route search), created the sortie, briefed the aircrew, flight released the sortie, used the comm log to launch the sortie, updated the mission three times in flight, then landed the mission.  I then debriefed the crew. All the sortie actions were uploaded to WMIRS but hit the byte bucket because it was a practice incident.  This all took less than 20 minutes, start to finish.  That included downloading the new update and new database.

I did not do this in LOCAL mode (that is even quicker) but used the Internet Server Client mode.  If anyone in my Wing opens up the IMU now in Internet Server Client mode, they can use the Incident I just created to add additional sorties. 

If you can't do this, you need a better trained instructor to show you how to do it. 

[Short Field]

Reality - sometimes you just don't have all the data when IMU needs it. Oops. No-Go. Fine - where's the paper so I can get this show in the air.

I have NEVER had enough data to legally release a mission on paper and not be able to release it in the IMU.

If your problem is having to wait for the tasking to be entered into the IMU or the crew to be built in the IMU, then you have a different problem. 

[Spike]

Everything should be E-Services.  This should have happened years ago.  Once system, ONE Central System.  Why can't we make stuff easy for everyone in CAP?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

[Fubar]

If you can't do this, you need a better trained instructor to show you how to do it.

I would settle for an instructor, let alone a trained one.

[Short Field]

Why not have this take place years ago - money to host the system and someone willing to write the code for free.  Automation was not a priority because most people in positions to make it happen didn't see the need.  Even today we hear people moan and groan about having to use eServices.  Due to the success of WMU and IMU over the past several years, National is now moving to get us into a single system.  It is still not cheap and will take time.  But at least there is now some direction. 

[Eclipse]

Why not have this take place years ago...

All wings were directed to terminate use of the WMU during Maj. Gen. Bowling's tenure.

About 1/2 refused, some for legitimate reasons including the inability at the time to generate 101 cards, but I'd say that qualifies as "years ago".

[Short Field]

All wings were directed to terminate use of the WMU during Maj. Gen. Bowling's tenure.

Yep, that worked out really well.  Note the current address for the WMU:  http://wmu.nat.cap.gov/

[Eclipse]

What's your point?

[Short Field]

What's your point?

That it outlasted the General's tenure and is now hosted on the national CAP server (or at least linked through it).   

[Eclipse]

What's your point?

That it outlasted the General's tenure and is now hosted on the national CAP server (or at least linked through it).   

That's just a domain name - no different than any other unit website.

[Short Field]

They are all just domain names.   

The point is that Lt Col Andersen provided two products (WMU & IMU) that significantly improved how units did their business.   He did it to fill a need that was not being satisfied by National and everyone in the leadership didn't appreciate it at the time. SIMS is another example of a "outsider" building a better mousetrap that slowly starts to gain wide acceptance in the organization.  At some point in time, these products WILL go away because their functionality will have been incorporated by National in their product.  However, without them the push to add that type of functionality to the National site would not have been here.  Competition is a good thing.

[Robborsari]

Wow.  There is a lot of discussion on this thread about WMU and IMU and NHQ stuff.  I am going to try and answer some of this without turning it into a religious discussion.  In no particular order:

The server is at NHQ and backed up by NHQ staff along with the other apps. 

The interface in IMU is not intuitive but I have asked over and over for suggestions and all I get is "make it better".  If I could figure out how I would.  One of the things I am looking at is a single page 104 screen that would do the same thing as the current screen but have the brief, debrief and everything all on one page or two.  Might speed up the briefing process but it would require larger screen sizes.   Remember that when Pete started all this 640x480 was common and 800x600 was large.  If I can get a good concrete suggestion on how to improve the interface that did not involve rewriting the entire thing I will work on it.   I am a unix kernel guy, .net and interface stuff is a stretch for me.

WMU provided functions that are required to manage a large wing but not provided by NHQ in their system.  Over the years as they have added functions to eservices, Pete has removed them from WMU and taken the data from the NHQ database.  Right now things like aircraft maintenance tracking, vehicle maint tracking, aircraft scheduling roa card management, capf75 management all only exist in WMU and other member created services.  If they get into E-services they will come out of WMU.  (I only do IMU not WMU stuff)  When he started it there was no system for 101 cards or anything else.  He came up with a system that worked and kept at it for years.  Huge kudos to Pete for getting the job done on his own and keeping it going.  That does not mean that it is perfect or intuitive or whatever but at least it is there.  As others have pointed out it is a one man volunteer effort that has benefited thousands of cap members over many years.

Spreadsheets:  We used a spreadsheet for maint tracking for airplanes.  It was a great spreadsheet but the data was scattered all over the wing.  I put up an open document server that allowed people to check in and out the spreadsheet and update it.  It worked ok but was a lot more cumbersome than just using WMU.  Also WMU/IMU ties into the Form 18 system so you don't have to update more than one location.  When we finish a mission in IMU it pops up a box saying this airplane is at this airport and gives you the option of updating the form 18.  Very handy.  It also keeps you from trying to dispatch an aircraft over its maint limits.  Much better than getting a call from the ramp right before departure that a plane is at 100hr. 

IMU is rigid in places because it is designed around the regs.  If you have someone with no qualification they can't be assigned to an aircrew for example.  That is a safety measure for the member and the staff.  No qual, no insurance.  It pulls the quals from the e-services database.   If they just got qualled yesterday, you can update their record on the fly if you have internet.  If they have paper signed but it is not in the system, the IC can enter the qual and approve it.  You can assign anyone as a passenger on a transport flight.  If you can come up with a legal situation that the tool won't let you do let me know and I will add it.  We try to require anything that is required by the regs and allow more than that.  A lot of the changes over the last few years has been in keeping up with regs and changes to WMIRS.

Non-IC practice missions:  Anyone with MSA or above can sign into IMU.  Getting MSA(T) is not difficult and really needs to be the lowest qual that can access the system.  Once you are logged in anyone can create a mission just by doing file->Open Incident and typing the fake number into the box.  Fill out the form completely and click OK.  WMIRS will ignore uploads because it does not have that number in its database.  (I use 10T990x or 10M990x or whatever)  Do not upload to WMU under database management, that one will work and you will have a fake mission hanging around on the archive server.  Set up your fake mission today!  Explore all the cool stuff like CAPF106 lead tracking, The GRID Assist tool, Mission finance estimator. There is online help on just about every screen.  The Resources Unit in particular is non-intuitive unless you read the help.  Then it makes sense.  Assign some staff and send 213s back and forth.  Its fun!

training:  Yes this is a big issue.  It is hard to get people to show up and go through a practice mission.  One comment I heard recently was "The staff member got frustrated because he couldn't figure out the tool."  My response was that he should not have been trying to figure out the tool for the first time during an air force guided training exercise that has been scheduled for months. Anyone can pick up a piece of paper and put stuff on it.  There is no checking that the stuff means anything.  You have to learn to use it just like a GPS in an airplane or a radio.  If you don't train before the event you will be frustrated and slow because it requires things to be right and you will be spending a lot of time hunting for whatever is preventing you from doing what you want.  With training and practice that time goes away and you start to appreciate things like being able to duplicate a tasking and change the details on similar sorties, Automatically creating a new sortie if an airplane lands at a different airport from whats specified in the 104 for some reason.  Recycling taskings if a sortie fails to depart for maintenance reasons.  Automatically creating 106s from leads reported by aircrews on debrief, Tracking of pilot duty day,  Automatically timestamped logs for the IC, PIO, LO, OPS and so on, Member qualifications tool for finding a new MSo or LO or whatever, route search generator, asset summary that shows how long you have on each airplane till 50 or 100 hour that gets updated every time a sortie debriefs,  Incident cost estimator that projects costs associated with every planned sortie and tracks actual expenditures.  All stuff that requires some training (even self study) to be used effectively.  It does a lot more than just fill out 109s and 104s.

Volunteer membership at HQ:  I believe that the IT folks are paid staff.  They will develop whatever they are directed to develop.  Someone with better information please correct me.  right now the IT folks do E-services and Ops does Wmirs.  I believe the focus of the merge is to get WMIRS and E-services integrated. 

If anyone is listening I would be happy to serve on a team that integrates IMU or an IMU replacement.  The requirements stage is critical to the success of a software project.  One of the things I hear a lot is that IMU would be better as a web based application.  It is true that a zero install web based app would be easier to get up and running and be platform agnostic.   The downside is, what do you do when you lose internet?  You have no access to flight status and tasking info even for the flights in the air.  With IMUs distributed database system every computer participating in the mission has a complete copy of the database.  Any one of them can be used in local mode or even become a server for a local network.  We even distribute an http server with the software.  I hope that nhq is not contemplating a web based replacement for IMU.  A Java client that has a similar distributed database but is not tied to windows I can see.  .NET is a pain and I have not yet gotten IMU to run on mono. 

Training offer:  I will do online training and if you can get me an inbound sortie or plane ticket I will come and do training in your area.  I hope to have IMU champions who are trained and can provide training in every group in every wing that is using it.  Right now I am working on TN.  Anyone who wants my Cell number PM me.  I can help when I have time. 

Sorry this went on for so long.  There is a lot to cover in this thread. 

Executive summary:  IMU is not perfect.  We are working on it and taking suggestions.

[Short Field]

 :clap:  :clap:  :clap: Very nicely said.