Grissom maintainers' IDEAs save money, earn cash Published July 25, 2011 By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- As Victor Hugo once put it, "there is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come." And for two Grissom maintainers, their ideas' time not only came, but improved the Air Force and paid them rewards. Senior Master Sgt. Charles Hoover and Master Sgt Tommy Patton, both air reserve technicians with the 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, submitted their ideas through the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) Program, which is an incentive program that promotes process improvement and resource savings through ideas submitted by military and civilian employees. Hoover's IDEA submission was t to inspect all fuel tank filler caps for proper installation and condition only, not part number, which takes too many man hours as all incorrect caps were replaced in 2009. Patton's IDEA submission was to change an incorrect part number in a technical order. Both ideas, filed under the Air Force Technical Order section of the IDEA program, paid each maintainer $200. On top of their cash awards, both maintainers were publically recognized by Col. William T. "Tim" Cahoon, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, during a civilian commander's call held here recently. To submit an IDEA click here. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
