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Team Pope earns Excellent Rating in LSEP inspection

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jon LaDue
  • 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  No matter what job you do, what major command you serve under or base you are stationed at ... Airmen are trusted to have the knowledge and skills necessary to accomplish the everyday Air Force mission. 

Just to make sure those missions are being executed in a safe and efficient matter, Air Mobility Command conducts Logistic Standardization and Evaluation Program inspections. Pope was inspected by a 26-member team Aug. 11 through 15 and earned an Excellent rating. 

Two groups were inspected; the 43rd Maintenance Group received an Outstanding rating while the 43rd Mission Support Group earned an Excellent rating. 

The LSEP inspection is a performance based evaluation of a base's ability to competently execute all required logistical missions. The LSEP inspectors have special interest items, which may change year-to-year, that can help judge just how prepared an Airman or unit is to correctly perform the mission. 

Capt. John Henson, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, said this year's LSEP team gave Pope high praise for the positive attitude and "get the job done" mentality that Pope Airmen displayed throughout the inspection. 

LSEPs are usually conducted every 18 to 24 months or if an installation is within six months of an Operational Readiness Inspection. Pope will conduct its ORI at the end of October. 

Lt. Col. Frank Flores, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron Commander, said the inspection team took notice of many different Airmen for superior outstanding performance. Colonel Flores' squadron members earned an Excellent rating in the inspection and he couldn't be more proud and optimistic toward the future. 

"Our folks, with their great attitudes and attention to detail-mindset, will continue to rise to the challenge for the upcoming ORI," Colonel Flores said. 

The LSEP inspection is important because it gives squadrons and the base an outside look to ensure we are all in compliance with Air Force Instructions and tasks are being completed in accordance with technical orders, said Colonel Flores. 

The 43rd Maintenance Group has to deal with many technical manuals, checklists and instructions because they work on aircraft everyday, but still managed to pass 95 percent of their 120 inspections which earned them an Outstanding, said Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Taylor, 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. 

"(We) rallied together to fine-tune an already well organized maintenance squadron to 'play like champions,'" Chief Taylor said. 

Captain Henson said that LSEP teams arrive at a base with the expectation that a base is "satisfactory" and it's up to the people to show their practices and procedures are advanced beyond satisfactory and warrant ratings of excellent or outstanding. 

"The goal is to ensure standardized, repeatable, technically compliant process execution, while promoting a culture of professional excellence and personal responsibility," Colonel Flores said. 

Captain Henson said Pope's rating proves Pope Airmen know how to do their jobs in a superb manner each and every day. 

"It lets supervisors around Pope know that Airmen are competent and trained in the areas of expertise they should be and that they're conducting themselves in accordance with Air Force Instructions and specifications. 

"We're learning our jobs as we should be, despite our constant deployment and turnover rates; we are still accomplishing the training we need to develop our Airmen for tomorrow's battles." Captain Henson said.