88th Operations Support Squadron stands ready for inspection

  • Published
  • By Capt. Greg Justice
  • 88 ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The 88th Air Base Wing Operations Support Squadron is gearing up to host the Air Force Materiel Command Air Traffic System Evaluation and Air Force Weather Standardization and Evaluation Program starting October 15 through October 19.

ATSEP and AWSEP will evaluate the ability of Airfield Operations Flight, Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Flight and the Base Weather Station/Flight to ensure they meet standards and operational requirements for both military and civilian users.

"They will look at our operation as a whole and how each section works in concert with the others in order to provide a safe flight for our travelers in and out of Wright-Patt," said Capt. Henry Cecil, airfield operations flight commander. 

"They will also look at our interactions and relationships with other organizations on the base, including flying units. Pilots will be surveyed to provide input on the level of service they receive at Wright-Patt's airfield and its airspace," Capt. Cecil added. 

Additionally, coordination with Base Safety and Civil Engineering will be evaluated.

First Lt. Matt Born, airfield operations flight director of operations, indicated the inspection will consist of both a systems evaluation and a compliance evaluation. Each location receives this inspection every two years and Wright-Patt's last inspection was in 2005. 

"The inspectors will evaluate the Air Traffic Control Tower and Airfield Management Operations (formerly called Base Operations), as well as their interfacing procedures with adjoining facilities to name a few," said Lt. Born.

Safe air travel also depends on the proper weather forecasting said, Mr. James Lane, weather flight chief. AFWSEP will take place concurrently with the air field operations evaluation. In addition, Mr. Lane indicated AFWSEP evaluates the ability of USAF weather units to meet weather standards and the weather forecasting and observing requirements of their customers. This evaluation provides commanders, functional managers and weather unit leaders with an objective assessment of the technical health of their units. Additionally it assists in measuring compliance with USAF policy and ensures proper measurement through benchmarking and crossflow of information.

According to Mr. Scott Scheff, ATCALS Flight Chief, another focus of the ATSEP inspection will be the airfield equipment evaluation. Inspectors will evaluate the Air Traffic Control communications systems including radios, recorders, and the Tower console to ensure they are operating within Technical Order specifications. This will also be the first time the new Automated Meteorological Station will be evaluated since it's installation in the spring of 2006.

Evaluators will use functional area checklists to conduct the evaluations, said Lt. Born. The components of the checklist include operations, training, quality assurance, administration and special interest items. Compliance items are arranged into these sections based with a special emphasis on the operations portion, said Lt. Born. 

All customers to Airfield Management need to be aware of the inspection and to cooperate with the inspectors if called upon to provide feedback as supported customers.