Columbus AFB celebrates UEI rating

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephanie Englar
  • 14th Flying Training Wing
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  In celebration of passing the Unit Effectiveness Inspection with a rating of "Effective," Columbus Air Force Base held a burger burn April 1 in Freedom Park.

Airmen were treated to burgers and an afternoon of sports during the celebration. They participated in a variety of activities such as 3-on-3 basketball, 1-pitch softball, sand volleyball and free golf.

The UEI was held March 23-30 and evaluated Columbus Air Force Base on how well it performed in four major graded areas: executing the mission, managing resources, improving the unit and leading people.

"The feedback I received from the lead inspector was extremely positive," said Col. John Nichols, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander. "Yes, we still have challenges to work through, but our Wing is doing an exceptional job of Producing Pilots, Advancing Airmen, and Feeding the Fight."

The wing IG office demonstrated an exceptional Commander's Inspection Program and was selected as the Major General Junius W. Jones Award winner for Air Education and Training Command.  Capt. Nicholas L. Powers, 14th Flying Training Wing Inspector General, received the Lt. Gen. Howard W. Leaf Award for AETC.

"It's important that we take time out to say thanks," Nichols said. "It's important that we take time out because I know the amount of work that has been going in to this. We need to thank all of the partners of Team BLAZE across our entire enterprise. When you go back tonight make sure you tell your families thank you because in many ways they sacrificed because you were spending long hours here, making this happen. I am so proud of the team. I am so proud of what we have done to turn some really important programs around and the fact that we are executing the mission at a very high level."