Fostering a culture of innovation during Energy Awareness Month

  • Published
  • By Jeanine Dunn
  • Air Mobility Command
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Fostering a culture of innovation in the workplace can be a difficult task, especially when every day presents new pressures to perform with less and less resources. An organization has a much better chance to thrive and succeed when everyone understands mission goals and has an opportunity to innovate. Thus, it is imperative Airmen's creativity be strengthened and process improvement channels be made known, enabling them to provide valuable input from their very own unique perspective.

Headquarters Air Mobility Command identified ambitious goals relative to improving aviation fuel efficiency across Mobility Air Forces, and dedicated a great deal of manpower and financial resources to ensuring success of the focused effort for more than four years. After developing an extensive program of awareness and an inviting process for Airmen to propose fuel-saving recommendations online, AMC Fuel Efficiency Office (FEO) has seen fruits of their labor in the subsequent millions of dollars of fuel savings and cost avoidance derived from incorporating many of those initiatives into command policy.

Coupled with AMC's fuel efficiency initiative review process and the AMC Fuel Efficiency Awards and Recognition Program, AMC also promotes the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) Program as another vehicle for Airmen to contribute to the aviation fuel efficiency effort, elevate their original efficiency ideas to HQ AMC, and receive recognition for their input to the process in accordance with Air Force standards.

A few examples of recent fuel efficiency initiatives routed to AMC/FEO through the Air Force IDEA Program by Airmen dedicated to saving fuel include: Token Off Load Fuel by James Shores from the 22nd Operations Support Squadron; KC-135 Just In Time Refueling by Capt. Adam Dalson from the 100th Operations Group; and Bus Tie Contractor Operational Check Procedure by Staff Sgt. Guillermo Gamero from the 725th Air Mobility Squadron.

During October 2012, Air Force's "Energy Awareness Month," HQ AMC presents its third annual "Fuels, Energy and Environment Idea Campaign". This offers Airmen another opportunity to showcase their creativity, contribute to Air Force efficiency goals and become eligible to receive a special campaign promotional item from HQ AMC.

Sponsored by AMC Manpower and Organization, the focused campaign is another means of building a productive environment that incentivizes and stimulates Airmen at a specific point in the year when the Air Force turns its focus on overarching energy conservation.

Throughout the month of October, AMC-FEE Idea Campaign submissions are accepted in the Air Force IDEA Program Data System (IPDS) at: https://ipds.randolph.af.mil.

For campaign details and more information, please contact your local installation Manpower and Organization Office. The HQ AMC FEE campaign administrator is Jeanine "JD" Dunn who can be contacted at 618-229-3916.