JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The commander of Air Combat Command directed all ACC wings to conduct unit-level open ranks and records inspections in a memorandum distributed on June 18, 2024.
Wings will have until July 17, to complete the inspections and provide results to ACC through their Numbered Air Force or Center commanders.
“As an all-volunteer force, we willingly relinquish a portion of our individual freedoms in order to be part of an elite team,” Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of ACC, wrote in the memorandum. “An essential element to being part of this elite team is the high standards we hold as an institution. Adherence to higher standards of conduct, dress and appearance, physical fitness, and the observance of customs and courtesies are critical to our identity as military members.”
Over the next month, commanders are expected to conduct a multi-layered unit inspection of all assigned military members. This will include open ranks inspections, which are in-person assessments of each Airman to correct wear of uniform, customs and courtesies, and adherence to dress and personal appearance standards in accordance with Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2903. It will also include records inspections, in which commanders must review all military members’ personnel records to ensure medical exemptions and religious accommodations are current and valid.
“ACC will focus even more on readiness as part of the Air Force’s Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition changes, and readiness starts with the enforcement of standards,” said Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, ACC command chief. “Airmen at all levels must ensure we are collectively devoted to a culture of excellence.”
ACC leaders and Airmen can also expect to see an increased emphasis on adherence to standards through large- and small-group discussions and ACC’s “The Bridge” website.
“I expect commanders, senior enlisted leaders and supervisors at all levels to be actively engaged with their personnel to encourage, monitor and enforce daily adherence to standards within our formations,” Wilsbach said. “Looking past even the smallest discrepancies cumulatively degrades our discipline and effectiveness.”