Reference & AI

DAFI 90-302

Air Force

THE INSPECTION SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia, active-duty U.S. Air Force

DAFI 90-302, "THE INSPECTION SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE", is a Department of the Air Force publication, dated March 15, 2023, certified current July 25, 2025.

Published

March 15, 2023

certified current July 25, 2025

OPR

SAF/IG

Headquarters, Department of the Air Force

Official document

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DAFI 90-302 — index record

NumberDAFI 90-302
TitleTHE INSPECTION SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
PublishedMarch 15, 2023
Certified currentJuly 25, 2025
Guidance memorandumMay 15, 2026
Office of primary responsibilitySAF/IG
Issued byHeadquarters, Department of the Air Force
Status on the indexCurrent
Last index actionGM, May 15, 2026
Source indexAir Force e-Publishing
Index last readOctober 20, 2026

Copied from Air Force e-Publishing (index). The publication itself is the authority; this page does not summarize or interpret it. Verify the current edition on the index before acting.

From the publication itself

Text below is lifted mechanically from the official PDF (112 pages, read October 20, 2026) with no editing or interpretation. Quote the document, not this page.

Purpose, in the publication’s words

Inspections, regardless of the level, provide an independent, standardized, and enterprise-wide evaluation of readiness, compliance, and overall effectiveness. Inspections verify units can execute assigned missions, lead their personnel, manage limited resources, and improve the unit as outlined in AFI 1-2, Commander’s Responsibilities and SPFI 1-2, Space Force Commander’s Responsibilities.

Summary of changes, as printed

This interim change revises DAFI 90-302 by incorporating policy changes from Guidance Memorandum; designating Air Operations Centers (AOC) as wing equivalent for inspection requirements; revising Chapter 4 to update implementation of Readiness Thread Inspection (RTI); Chapter 5 in its entirety updating the Nuclear Surety Inspection language and restructuring the paragraphs, and adding new guidance for “other nuclear inspections/activities”; IG Duty Badge credentialing; revising Attachment 2 to incorporate emphasis areas and By-Law inspection changes, A margin bar (|) indicates newly revised material.

Contents

  1. Chapter 2—THE COMMANDER’S INSPECTION PROGRAMp. 26
  2. Chapter 3—THE UNIT EFFECTIVENESS INSPECTION (UEI)p. 35
  3. Chapter 4—SPACE FORCE INSPECTIONSp. 47
  4. Chapter 5—AIR FORCE NUCLEAR INSPECTION PROGRAMSp. 49
  5. Chapter 6—OVERSIGHT INSPECTIONSp. 63
  6. Chapter 7—EMERGING INSPECTION REQUIREMENTSp. 67
  7. Chapter 8—OTHER INSPECTIONSp. 68
  8. Chapter 9—INSPECTION FINDINGS MANAGEMENTp. 80
  9. Chapter 10—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM GOVERNANCE PROCESSp. 84
  10. Chapter 11—INSPECTOR GENERAL FORCE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENTp. 86
  11. Chapter 12—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM TOOLSp. 90
  12. Chapter 13—SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM INSPECTIONSp. 92
  13. Chapter 14—INSPECTION OF EXPEDITIONARY UNITSp. 100
  14. Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 102
  15. Attachment 3—UNIT EFFECTIVENESS INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS - USAFp. 134
  16. Attachment 4—READINESS THREAD INSPECTION - USSFp. 135
  17. Attachment 5—NUCLEAR INSPECTIONSp. 136
  18. Attachment 6—WING/DELTA INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE TEMPLATESp. 137
  19. Attachment 7—READINESS EXERCISES, INSPECTIONS, AND ASSESSMENTSp. 141
  20. Attachment 8—PROGRAM-SPECIFIC INSPECTION REQUIREMENTSp. 143
  21. Attachment 9—DEFICIENCY CAUSE CODES AND EXPLANATIONSp. 152
  22. Attachment 10—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM GOVERNANCE PROCESS CHARTERp. 156
  23. Attachment 11—INSPECTOR GENERAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTSp. 161
  24. Attachment 12—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM TOOLSp. 163
  25. Attachment 13—DAF SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM INSPECTION ELEMENTSp. 165
  26. Attachment 14—THE UNIT SELF-ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (USAP)p. 166
All 112 contents entries
  1. 1.1. Overviewp. 7
  2. 1.2. Purpose of The Inspection Systemp. 10
  3. 1.3. Authoritiesp. 11
  4. 1.4. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 15
  5. 1.5. Inspection Guidelinesp. 23
  6. 1.6. Safety Assessments, Evaluations, and Inspectionsp. 25
  7. Chapter 2—THE COMMANDER’S INSPECTION PROGRAMp. 26
  8. 2.1. General Informationp. 26
  9. 2.2. Purposep. 26
  10. 2.3. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 26
  11. 2.4. Commander’s Inspection Program Methodologyp. 28
  12. Chapter 3—THE UNIT EFFECTIVENESS INSPECTION (UEI)p. 35
  13. 3.1. General Informationp. 35
  14. 3.2. Purposep. 35
  15. 3.3. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 35
  16. 3.4. Unit Effectiveness Inspection Methodologyp. 37
  17. 3.5. Unit Effectiveness Inspection Ratingp. 43
  18. 3.6. Unit Effectiveness Inspection Reportsp. 46
  19. Chapter 4—SPACE FORCE INSPECTIONSp. 47
  20. 4.1. General Informationp. 47
  21. 4.2. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 47
  22. 4.3. The Readiness Thread Inspection (RTI)p. 48
  23. Chapter 5—AIR FORCE NUCLEAR INSPECTION PROGRAMSp. 49
  24. 5.1. General Informationp. 49
  25. 5.2. Nuclear Self-Assessmentp. 49
  26. 5.3. Nuclear Surety Inspection (NSI)p. 49
  27. 5.4. Initial Nuclear Surety Inspections (INSI)p. 59
  28. 5.5. Other Nuclear Inspections/Activitiesp. 62
  29. Chapter 6—OVERSIGHT INSPECTIONSp. 63
  30. 6.1. General Informationp. 63
  31. 6.2. Purposep. 63
  32. 6.3. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 63
  33. 6.4. Oversight Inspection Methodologyp. 64
  34. 6.5. Oversight Inspection Major Graded Areasp. 64
  35. 6.6. Oversight inspection reportp. 66
  36. Chapter 7—EMERGING INSPECTION REQUIREMENTSp. 67
  37. 7.1. General Informationp. 67
  38. 7.2. Purposep. 67
  39. Chapter 8—OTHER INSPECTIONSp. 68
  40. 8.1. General Informationp. 68
  41. 8.2. The Headquarters Inspectionp. 68
  42. 8.3. Joint Base Inspectionsp. 70
  43. 8.4. Federal Recognition Inspectionsp. 71
  44. 8.5. By-Law Inspectionsp. 73
  45. 8.6. Directed Inspectionsp. 74
  46. 8.7. The Department of the Air Force Special Interest Item (SII) Programp. 74
  47. 8.8. MAJCOM/FLDCOM Command Interest Items (CII)p. 75
  48. 8.9. Special Emphasis Item (SEI)p. 76
  49. 8.10. Self-Assessment Checklist Fragmentary Order (SACFRAGO)p. 76
  50. 8.11. Cemetery Inspectionsp. 76
  51. 8.12. Wounded, Ill, and Injured Government Housing Inspectionsp. 77
  52. 8.13. Radioactive Material Permit Inspectionp. 77
  53. Chapter 9—INSPECTION FINDINGS MANAGEMENTp. 80
  54. 9.1. Purposep. 80
  55. 9.2. Self-Identified Findingsp. 80
  56. 9.3. Validationp. 80
  57. 9.4. Deficiencies External to the Inspected Unitp. 81
  58. 9.5. Formatp. 81
  59. 9.6. Deficiency Corrective Actions and Closurep. 81
  60. 9.7. Non-IG Findingsp. 83
  61. Chapter 10—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM GOVERNANCE PROCESSp. 84
  62. 10.1. Purposep. 84
  63. 10.3. SAF/IG-Approved Changesp. 85
  64. 10.4. The Inspection System Suggestionsp. 85
  65. Chapter 11—INSPECTOR GENERAL FORCE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENTp. 86
  66. 11.1. Department of the Air Force IG Dutyp. 86
  67. 11.2. IG Attributesp. 86
  68. 11.3. Force Developmentp. 86
  69. 11.4. Grade Requirementsp. 86
  70. 11.5. IG Trainingp. 87
  71. 11.6. Inspector Certificationp. 88
  72. 11.7. IG Oathp. 88
  73. 11.8. SAF IG Duty Badge and Credentialsp. 88
  74. Chapter 12—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM TOOLSp. 90
  75. 12.1. The Inspector General’s Inspectionp. 90
  76. 12.2. Inspector General Evaluation Management Systemp. 90
  77. 12.3. Management Internal Control Toolsetp. 90
  78. Chapter 13—SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM INSPECTIONSp. 92
  79. 13.1. Purposep. 92
  80. 13.2. Backgroundp. 92
  81. 13.3. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 92
  82. 13.4. SAP Accessp. 95
  83. 13.5. Handling of Reports and Materialsp. 95
  84. 13.6. Oversight Meetingsp. 95
  85. 13.7. Concept of DAF SAP Operationsp. 96
  86. 13.8. Semi-Annual DAF SAP Inspection Working Groupp. 96
  87. 13.9. DAF SAP Notification of Inspectionp. 96
  88. 13.10. DAF SAP Pre-Inspection Deliverablesp. 96
  89. 13.11. The Inspection System DAF SAP Major Graded Areasp. 97
  90. 13.12. Other Mandatory DAF SAP Inspection Areasp. 98
  91. 13.13. DAF SAP Inspection Process/Methodologyp. 98
  92. 13.14. DAF SAP Deficienciesp. 99
  93. 13.15. DAF SAP Inspection Reportp. 99
  94. 13.16. DAF SAP Inspection Follow-upp. 99
  95. Chapter 14—INSPECTION OF EXPEDITIONARY UNITSp. 100
  96. 14.1. Generalp. 100
  97. 14.2. Expeditionary Commander’s Inspection Programp. 100
  98. 14.3. MAJCOM/FLDCOM IG Inspection of Expeditionary Unitsp. 100
  99. 14.4. Expeditionary Wing/Delta IG Trainingp. 101
  100. Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 102
  101. Attachment 3—UNIT EFFECTIVENESS INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS - USAFp. 134
  102. Attachment 4—READINESS THREAD INSPECTION - USSFp. 135
  103. Attachment 5—NUCLEAR INSPECTIONSp. 136
  104. Attachment 6—WING/DELTA INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE TEMPLATESp. 137
  105. Attachment 7—READINESS EXERCISES, INSPECTIONS, AND ASSESSMENTSp. 141
  106. Attachment 8—PROGRAM-SPECIFIC INSPECTION REQUIREMENTSp. 143
  107. Attachment 9—DEFICIENCY CAUSE CODES AND EXPLANATIONSp. 152
  108. Attachment 10—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM GOVERNANCE PROCESS CHARTERp. 156
  109. Attachment 11—INSPECTOR GENERAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTSp. 161
  110. Attachment 12—THE INSPECTION SYSTEM TOOLSp. 163
  111. Attachment 13—DAF SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM INSPECTION ELEMENTSp. 165
  112. Attachment 14—THE UNIT SELF-ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (USAP)p. 166

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Air Force index

REF: DAFI 90-302, effective March 15, 2023

Air Force e-Publishing — DAFI 90-302

This is an index record, not the publication. The official PDF is the authority; verify the current edition before acting.

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial

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