Innovative Airman of the Week

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Andrew Jackson, 97th Maintenance Group Airlift Tool and Equipment Storage Facility (TSF) flight chief, was named Innovative Airman of the Week, March 6, 2013. Jackson noticed cost savings could be attained if C-17A Globemaster III Tire Change Slings were modified by adding leather to decrease wear and tear. His TSF replaced an average of 8 to 10 slings annually at a cost of $2,692 each. By adding patches of leather to the slings at a cost of $150 each, Mr. Jackson extended the durability and service life by 6 months thus far, with another 6 months expected per sling. The cost savings by adding the in leather is estimated to be around $14,288 annually. Mr. Jackson furthers his idea by working with MX Product Improvement, Boeing Item Managers and HQ/AMC to implement it world-wide in the C-17A MX community. The global cost savings could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.