The value of bright ideas; Airmen improve wing

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ryan Brooks
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Everyone has ideas, and in today’s Air Force, ideas that can save time, money and resources, are welcomed more than ever before.

Master Sgt. Jesús Herrera, 31st Fighter Wing flight safety supervisor, recently voiced his idea to fix F-16 Fighting Falcon power take-off shafts.

“I heard we threw out PTO shafts when they could be fixed,” said Herrera. “I said right away, ‘Let’s change that.’”

Herrera discovered that the F-16 technical order required Airmen to “replace [the PTO] shaft” if it had broken nut plates. Each PTO shaft costs $5,400. Herrera knew the F-16 PTO shaft is similar to those in other aircraft; however, those TOs directed Airmen to repair the shaft by riveting on new nut plates. Repairing the PTO shaft costs $6.50. That’s $5,393.50 saved per PTO shaft repaired instead of replaced.

“All Airmen are capable of helping the Air Force save through innovation,” said Tech. Sgt. Eric Smith, 31st Fighter Wing Continuous Process Improvement program manager. “But an idea might never come to fruition unless someone voices it. Thankfully, Aviano leaders at all levels have empowered their people to share their ideas.”

Smith has a trained team of unit CPI representatives who assist Airmen in seeing their ideas through to Implementation.

“After I started my research I reached out to Master Sgt. Daniel Heimann, the 31st Maintenance Group CPI representative, who helped me fill out a submission form and pushed my idea on to the right people,” said Herrera.

A few months later his innovation was approved.

Herrera’s innovation is estimated to save the wing more than $100,000 and the Air Force more than $2.5 million annually. For this, he’ll also have a chance to receive a monetary reward.

His innovation is one of 20 at Aviano from fiscal year 17 which saved the wing more than $2.75 million.

“When people don’t like something, don’t just settle for the status quo or say, ‘That’s just how it is at Aviano,’” said Smith. “Think, ‘How can we make this better?’”

Have an idea? Click here.