Altus IG Hosts Texoma IG Professional Development Seminar Published Sept. 18, 2019 By By Senior Airman Cody Dowell Altus Air Force Base Public Affairs ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Every Air Force installation operates like a well-oiled machine, requiring multiple mechanisms to make it run. One component in particular is the IG office, which is in charge of ensuring units are operating at their highest potential for peak mission accomplishment. The 97th IG Office hosted a joint Professional Development seminar, Sept. 5, 2019, at the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford. The seminar invited several offices from around the area to discuss IG matters, network processes and member information, while offering a location to appreciate the transformation of airpower throughout the years. “The museum was a nice central location for all the attending members and was a great venue for discussion,” said Boone Nicolls, the director of IG investigations and complaints resolution assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing. “The location also offered a better appreciation of air history, since the military has had a large involvement related to airpower development.” The seminar included members from Tinker AFB, Vance AFB and Sheppard AFB, giving a diverse group of IG members the ability to discuss their respected roles. “Our IG work handles complaints, congressionals and inspections for this base but that’s only for here,” said Nicolls. “Each of these separate, but equal community members offer something different to IG, since members are pulled from other units. Adding on the collective knowledge to the IG community.” This event gave the ability to put names to faces and establish the ability to connect other members. The opportunity to discuss the different responsibilities and challenges that other IG offices face gave unique perspectives on how to handle different mission sets throughout the Air Force. “Sharing practices allows everyone to benefit from it,” said Nicolls. “Having members from other installations gives us good perspective and ideas on how other units are run and organized.” IG members ensure that proper procedures occur within every unit of a base. This process validates proper efficiency, safety and implementation of standards for the installation mission. “Our office gives that unbiased report of mission readiness for the commander so they have an objective report of the capabilities and performances on the unit,” said Nicolls. “It also gives members the ability to report when readiness is being effected by any means to our unit, making our office beneficial for all members of a unit.” Like any machine, every part should be inspected to ensure it is effectively running. For Mobility’s Hometown, the team in charge is the 97th AMW IG. By investing time into their own development, the 97th AMW IG team ensures that all units are ready and capable to carry out wing operations.