What a great IDEA

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, HAWAII – George Solomon receives a $10,000 check from 15th Airlift Wing vice commander Col. Dean Wolford at a commander’s call April 28 for a winning submission to the Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness (IDEA) Program. Mr. Solomon is a 15th Aircraft Maintenance squadron aircraft electrician who requested a source maintenance and recoverability code change that allowed a previously-expendable $16,631 C-17 ice detector to be repaired for about $5,000. In the last two years, 135 parts have been thrown away at a cost of $2,190,105; however, repairing the part would only have cost $769,500, which adds up to a total cost savings of $1,420,605 in two years. The IDEA Program is an incentive program that promotes process improvement and/or resource savings through ideas submitted by military and civilian employees. For more information, see Air Force Instruction 38-401 or call the 15th Mission Support Squadron Manpower-Organization and Readiness Flight at 448-IDEA. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Senior Airman Carolyn Viss)