Energy efficiency efforts within DOD helping many customers, including AMC

Published April 27, 2011
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In the week leading up to Earth Day on April 22, many efforts across the Department of Defense were highlighted. Some of those efforts are helping Air Mobility Command's efforts as well.

In an April 13 news report by American Forces Press Service, "green initiatives" at places like Fort Bragg, N.C., and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., set up by the U.S. Army also help their mobility Airmen next door.

In the report, an Army official discussed how Fort Bragg's early environmental "sustainability" efforts "addressed the broad scope of issues; from how energy, water, wastewater and solid and hazardous waste was managed to how new buildings were constructed." The report also stated the result "was more effective and efficient use of resources, reduced consumption and, as a result, cost savings that could be applied to other projects."

Near Fort Bragg is AMC's 43rd Airlift Group at Pope Field (recently changed from Pope Air Force Base). The DOD report discussed an effort at Fort Bragg called the "Sustainable Sandhills Initiative" that involved Pope Field. The report says the initiative was established in 2003 and brings together Fort Bragg, neighboring Pope Field and "eight surrounding counties to support regional conservation programs and initiatives."

Moreover, the report also mentioned an effort at Joint Base MDL -- home to AMC's U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, the 87th Air Base Wing, 305th Air Mobility Wing and the 621st Contingency Response Wing to name a few units. On the old Fort Dix area of the base, the report stated "evidence of a sustainability mind set is cropping up throughout the Army Reserve. It's seen in a photovoltaic solar panel system on the roof of the 99th Regional Support Command headquarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J."

Also recognized by the Department of Defense in April were environmental sustainability efforts taking place at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The base was one of the winners in the 2011 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards on April 19.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, home to Air Mobility Command's 62nd Airlift Wing, won the award for the "Sustainability -- Non-Industrial Installation" category.

The narrative for Joint Base Lewis-McChord's award highlights the base's accomplishments, programs and efforts. The narrative also highlights a sustainability workshop that began in 2002.

"When Fort Lewis held its initial sustainability workshop in February 2002, leaders made a commitment to stakeholders to change the way we do business, ensuring a better tomorrow," the narrative states. "Today (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) remains true to that commitment despite the challenges of increased training needs, additional maneuver units and rapidly increasing development inside and outside of the installation fence line."

The narrative also highlights some of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's sustainability goals. They include reducing installation stationary source and non-tactical motor vehicle air emissions by 85 percent by 2025, reducing total energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015, and to "sustain all activities on post using renewable energy sources by 2025."

Though many of the highlighted efforts show what the Army is doing, the Air Force is meeting the challenge and will help their "neighbors" as well.

For example, in April, AMC's Fuel Efficiency Office spearheaded coordination efforts to further build on the Air Force's fuel efficiency efforts. On April 20, Air Mobility Command brought in business experts to share best ways to implement process changes. The experts briefed more than 90 mobility leaders "on Business Process Re-engineering who then started looking at how to increase the efficiency of strategic airlift missions within the continental United States," according to an AMC News report.

Air Force Talking Points from April 22 also highlighted some of the overall Air Force efforts. For example, it states the Air Force is the #2 largest purchaser of renewable energy in the federal government, and the 15th largest in the United States. Additionally, it shows by 2012, the entire Air Force fleet of aircraft will be operationally certified on both synthetic and bio-fuel blends. That aircraft fleet includes AMC aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker and the KC-10 Extender.

(Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service, and 1st Lt. Kathleen Ferrero, AMC Public Affairs, contributed to this report.)