Subordinate Unit Inspection

Does anyone on here have any experience with SUIs from the standpoint of Supply?  I will shortly be facing my first one.  Any pointers would be helpful.  Thanks.

Follow the guide and make sure you have the most current one.

Know where everything is, insure your inventories are correct and current.

Insure your Supply Officer is properly assigned in eServices and the CAPF 2a showing the assumption of responsibility is on file.

Don't embellish - answer "yes or no questions" with "yes" or "no", and make sure you can substantiate your responses.

Absent wing supplements, the reg is the authority, regardless of what an inspector might indicate or imply - if you disagree, don't
get into an argument, address it in the response.  SUI inspectors have no authority, and cannot direct you to take any action
contrary to your CC's wishes - they are there to ascertain and report facts.

Remember this is not a "final exam", this is a snapshot of the unit's operations on the day of the inspection.  Do your best,
but don't fixate on the grade, your pay will be the same, regardless.

See if you can get a copy of the results from your unit's last SUI for Supply. If you can, make sure any deficencies are addressed. Corrected if appropriate, explained if not corrected. "I'm new" will get you some leeway with some inspectors, but not all, and generally not with anything major.

Have a current copy of your S-3 (unit inventory) available. If you can pull it up in eServices during the SUI, that's best. Make absolutely sure everything that is issued has been accepted in ORMS. If any non-expendible equipment has been issued to a cadet under 18, make sure you have a CAPF 37 signed by their parent/gaurdian. The SUI folks will generally not ask to see issued equipment, but will typically ask to see any equipment/uniforms/supplies not issued or assigned. The SUI inspector will usually have one, but it'll be a couple of days old, usually. Make sure anything that is MISSING is noted in ORMS under "Condition" and that a Report of Survey (ROS) has been initiated for them. This usually happens as soon as up change the condition to "Missing".

Make sure any expendible supplies (uniforms) are issued on the CAPF 111 in ORMS if they exist in your ORMS inventory.

Unless you are also the Communications Officer, stay away from the radios/df units/practice beacons. If you start bringing them into the discussion, you'll find yourself being inspected on the Communications tab as well.

Read CAPR 174-1(?) which covers all this as well and is the guiding reg for Logistics.

^ What he said.  Also...

You're "supply" only right?

Not Transport?  If you're Transport as well and have a vehicle, it'll be inspected.  If you're Transport with no vehicle, there will still be a couple
questions regarding CAP DL's.

Have a vehicle? Tire pressure!

Get a copy of the SUI Guide.  It will have the list of questions you need to answer and, in my experience, the inspectors won't ask for anything else.  If you are good on all the questions in your section, you'll do fine.

This is all very helpful and exactly the kind of advice I was seeking.  Thanks to all who posted.  Couple of things;  i am also listed as assistant comm and assistant transportation officer.  There are others above me who are tasked in that department.  I needed them to be able to conduct and submit the inventories.  That is the extent of my involvement.

The no expendable property is not an issue.  The expendable is currently logged in a book when issued to cadets, but I don't have them in ORMS.  Will they want that done?

IIRC, you're supossed to be using the online CAPF 111 for expendable items, which is access through ORMS.

Great advice so far on this.  I've done about 10 SUIs in the past year and these are the problem areas we've seen in Supply:

• Changeover inventory not done when there was a recent change in CC or LGS
• Non-expendable items not tagged with the red CAP property tag
• Location field in ORMS used to show an item returned to Wing/given to another sqd or issued to a sqd member
• Non-use of the on-line 111a to document uniform issues
• Member owned items at sad building not marked as "on loan" or "property of______"
• Donated or sqd purchased non-expendable items not entered into ORMS

Good luck.  It is not a painful process and can be helpful.  I agree with the "don't embellish" comments, but, then again, this is YOUR time to tell about great and above and beyond things you or your Squadron does. 

You can also talk to the wing logistics or supply folks. Hopefully they should have more experience and be able to at least guide/help you. If you have groups, talk to the group supply. This isn't 'breaking the chain.' Staffers can talk to staffers when it comes to matters of mentoring and help. It's really ok and the higher-ups should know any wing-specific policies or whatnot. 

Heck, if a unit hasn't been inspected in a bit there's nothing wrong with having a unit CC request a SAV. They're called assistance visits for a reason.

Good luck.  It is not a painful process and can be helpful.  I agree with the "don't embellish" comments, but, then again, this is YOUR time to tell about great and above and beyond things you or your Squadron does.

I've had people who "embellish" and the inspection took 8 hours, when the whole thing should be 1-2 hours and everyone goes home.

No one is reading the best practices, most wings don't publish the inspections to the peer commanders, and no one particularly cares about the grade unless it's a face-flat "unsuccessful" - the only thing that anyone will even mention after the inspection is published is closing the findings.

Heck, if a unit hasn't been inspected in a bit there's nothing wrong with having a unit CC request a SAV. They're called assistance visits for a reason.

SUIs are back to every two years now so everyone knows where the skeletons are hidden.

If you have a vehicle assign, clean it up and check the fluids and tire pressure. It always surprise me that Squadrons would not prepare their vehicles for inspections when it is just a few minutes to square it away.   

maybe in your wing SUIs are at 2 years, I can't say.  Our wing has changed in the past few years.  However CAPR 123-3 provides that SUIs may be done on a 36 month cycle, and if the wing conducts SUIs on the (approximate) 36 month cycle, then the unit is responsible for doing a self assessment (using the SUI guide) in the other 2 years during the anniversary month of the SUI.
Oddly enough, in those wings where SUIs are on a 24 month cycle, self assessments are not required.

Oddly enough, in those wings where SUIs are on a 24 month cycle, self assessments are not required.

That's the reason they aren't required, because you're exceeding the minimum inspection cycle.  My wing does this, though I don't agree with it.

I've seen units where the responsible Officer is "not Available" on the date of the inspection. In those circumstances make sure that your assistant or someone is available, up to date, and able to stand in for you. If not you will have flat out failed the inspection.

maybe in your wing SUIs are at 2 years, I can't say.  Our wing has changed in the past few years.  However CAPR 123-3 provides that SUIs may be done on a 36 month cycle, and if the wing conducts SUIs on the (approximate) 36 month cycle, then the unit is responsible for doing a self assessment (using the SUI guide) in the other 2 years during the anniversary month of the SUI.
Oddly enough, in those wings where SUIs are on a 24 month cycle, self assessments are not required.

I did the IG thing for six years. Every two years is better management. Self assessments I liked but you will not have all units doing a legit self assessment. That bad boy is just 'pencil whipped' 50% of the time. Three years the Unit slide and when you go back you wonder how they not did anything.

I always found Units with really poor Safety Programs, before eservices, would put down their safety briefs occurred on Memorial Day, Labor Day or if they meet on Tuesdays they put a few down as Mondays or Wednesdays and others that obviously b.s. because cheaters are never smart enough to go the extra step and at least make it look good. Same thing with vehicle maintenance. The last oil change they said was last month but the door sticker was from three years ago and the dip stick has nothing on it.

IG = good times indeed   

I've seen units where the responsible Officer is "not Available" on the date of the inspection. In those circumstances make sure that your assistant or someone is available, up to date, and able to stand in for you. If not you will have flat out failed the inspection.

Roger that. Some Squadrons are so ill prepared I have spent eight hours on them. It is not rocket science follow the guide and be prepared.   

Good luck.  It is not a painful process and can be helpful.  I agree with the "don't embellish" comments, but, then again, this is YOUR time to tell about great and above and beyond things you or your Squadron does.

That's a very good point.  Yes, the general rule is "answer the question that's asked" but if you have an outstanding way of managing your area of responsibility it's good to let the inspector know that.  It's one way in which "Successful" and "Highly Successful" are distinguished.  Also be ready for follow-up...the answer to a yes/no question is really "yes, and here's the supporting information". 

Others have said be familiar with the SUI Guide.  As an inspectee, I've had very good luck (and happy inspectors) by providing a packet to the inspector based on the SUI guide for my area(s).  On one page, I write question 1 (along with any a, b, c parts it may have) and I put my answer.  On the following pages, I put the documentation to support that (e-Services printouts, 2As, etc.).  After the supporting info comes question 2 followed by its supporting info, followed by 3, you get the idea.  As an inspector, well, I wish I would've seen that done more often.  Makes things go very quickly in my experience (greatly minimizes the need for searching through unit files, personnel records, and the like).  There are probably other great ways to handle the inspection; I've just found that one to work well.

And I'll second the comments about making sure either you're there or an alternate that knows the information is there.  Otherwise, it can be a long night for the CC (and the inspectors).

That's a very good point.  Yes, the general rule is "answer the question that's asked" but if you have an outstanding way of managing your area of responsibility it's good to let the inspector know that.  It's one way in which "Successful" and "Highly Successful" are distinguished.  Also be ready for follow-up...the answer to a yes/no question is really "yes, and here's the supporting information". 

Others have said be familiar with the SUI Guide.  As an inspectee, I've had very good luck (and happy inspectors) by providing a packet to the inspector based on the SUI guide for my area(s).  On one page, I write question 1 (along with any a, b, c parts it may have) and I put my answer.  On the following pages, I put the documentation to support that (e-Services printouts, 2As, etc.).  After the supporting info comes question 2 followed by its supporting info, followed by 3, you get the idea.  As an inspector, well, I wish I would've seen that done more often.  Makes things go very quickly in my experience (greatly minimizes the need for searching through unit files, personnel records, and the like).  There are probably other great ways to handle the inspection; I've just found that one to work well.

And I'll second the comments about making sure either you're there or an alternate that knows the information is there.  Otherwise, it can be a long night for the CC (and the inspectors).

CAPR 123-3, 7.a.(3) Each staff position to be inspected will prepare a section Assessment Book as described in Attachment 2.

That's for Wing Compliance Inspections, not Unit Inspections.