Phoenix Pride encourages 60th MXS Airmen to be experts

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Carter
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Quality assurance is necessary to complete missions safely and effectively especially in the maintenance career field.

The Commander's Self-Inspection Program takes the focus off of external inspections and redirects the focus to internal inspections: Airmen looking out for Airmen.

Falling under the CSIP, the Phoenix Pride program at Travis Air Force Base, California, meets the objectives and was recognized in 2015 by the Air Mobility Command Inspector General as a "best practice" during the Unit Effectiveness Inspection capstone.

"As Phoenix Pride, we go to various shops using Air Force instructions and directives to correct problems found throughout the squadron," said Airman 1st Class Eric Lambert, 60th MXS section team member. "My role is to learn various regulations and use that knowledge to not only help other shops by showing them different items that need to be corrected, but also taking that knowledge back to my own shop and applying what I've learned at the lowest level."

The maintenance squadron's mission is continuous, lasting improvement while promoting a safe, efficient and effective culture that enhances the mission, improves morale and solidifies the squadron as experts.

"Phoenix Pride has a two-fold impact," said Master Sgt. Nicholas Busch, 60th MXS self-inspection program manager. "First, it keeps a fresh eye on compliance on a weekly basis in every work center. ... Second, and probably more impactful, (Phoenix Pride provides) networking, training and breadth of experience to the team members."

A three-man team, consisting of one junior NCO and two Airmen, each from different sections around the squadron, rotates weekly with new members each round. Lambert recently participated in the Phoenix Pride inspections.

"By structuring the team this way, you allow the NCO an opportunity to mentor Airmen new to the squadron, teaching them things to look for and sharing their own personal job experience," Lambert said. "For the Airmen, they get a chance to network with other shops and see what all the various sections in the squadron do. Phoenix Pride not only gives Airmen in the squadron a chance to learn, but through Phoenix Pride we can help reduce the number of possible QA fails."

Teams follow a checklist, but also have a specific focus area every week that is derived from the reviewed reports and the team's specific expertise.

"While one shop may have experts in one area because it's a primary mission focus, another shop may only use or review that same program periodically," Busch said. "For example, most of our areas use compressed gasses in some capacity or another. Our electro-environmental shop deals with compressed gas daily as part of their primary duty while other shops do not. When an electro-environmental member is part of Phoenix Pride, they review the compressed gas safety procedures throughout the squadron and use their expertise to make the program better as a whole."

The team members get to see all 18 different work centers within the 60th MXS.

"During the inspections, junior squadron members are exposed to the many different processes that are performed all over the squadron," Busch said. "They learn about how other work centers perform some of the same functions they do. The cross-talk that occurs during the inspections educates the team members as well as those being inspected."

Phoenix Pride completes more than 250 inspections per week in 18 different work centers containing more than 500 Air Force members and covering 23 facilities. The program has made 175 saves since Jan. 1.

"My favorite part of my job is being the focal point for continuous improvement," Busch said. "My actions have a direct effect on our squadron's mission success."