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Energy Awareness: AMC Fuel Efficiency Office shows how 'efficiency promotes effectiveness'

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  By the end of the Berlin Airlift in 1949, more than 550,000 sorties brought a half-million tons of food and 1.5 million tons of coal to the 2.5 million residents of West Berlin, Germany. In every one of those airlift sorties, Airmen made the most of every inch of space on their planes.

This same idea is being put forth today by Air Mobility Command's Fuel Efficiency Office, or FEO, at Scott AFB through an initiative called precision loading. By refining the ability to maximize available space on mobility aircraft, fewer missions are required and fuel and resources are saved, and the Air Force finds another way to reduce its demand on foreign oil. One of the pillars of the Air Force's energy plan, it is just one effort that shows how "efficiency promotes effectiveness."

Col. Kevin Trayer, director of operations for AMC Fuel Efficiency Office, said "effectiveness in mobility air forces" is the cornerstone of what AMC is doing in the fuel efficiency effort. "Getting the supplies to the warfighter on the ground is our first priority," he said. "As we accomplish that, we also exercise the responsibility of being good stewards of our nation's resources."

The mission
Every day, AMC's Fuel Efficiency Office reaches out to tens of thousands of people across the entire mobility enterprise. It's an effort built into the office's charter. Whether an initiative is inspired by the Berlin Airlift, or simply because it is the right thing to do for the Air Force and the Department of Defense, energy is an operations enabler for the Air Force and the FEO has a mission to consolidate and lead aviation fuel conservation efforts throughout the mobility air forces while maximizing effectiveness.

"Improved aviation fuel efficiency across the mobility air forces is predicated on effecting change by implementing a strategy which focuses on all aspects of our operations," Colonel Trayer said.

Building successful initiatives
The Air Force is the largest user of energy in the DOD with Air Force aviation operations accounting for 79 percent of the service's energy usage, figures show. Mobility air forces operations make up 60 percent of Air Force aviation fuel used, or approximately 39 percent of all DOD aviation fuel consumption. With that in mind, mobility leaders are finding ways to reduce the Air Force's footprint in fuel consumption.

One of the first initiatives the FEO started across the mobility air forces was the Web-based Fuel Tracker. During a mission, aircrew members gather critical bits of information regarding fuel planning and execution that is put into the tracker after a mission.

The FEO uses the data to improve the accuracy of fuel loads in computer flight plans distributed to aircrew Airmen. Additionally, commanders are using reports derived from the data to improve fuel efficiency at the unit level. "We've made it a goal to have a 95 percent participation rate across mobility air forces in the Web-base Fuel Tracker by the end of this year," Colonel Trayer said.

Another initiative is the "Next Generation Cargo Capability." This proof of principle was tested from August through October with flights out of Dover Air Force Base, Del. The goal is to move more cargo with the same amount of airlift. Preliminary results from August are "very positive."

Recent examples of success
The FEO also recently completed an auxiliary power unit, or APU, test examining ways to streamline and create more efficiency in APU and aerospace ground equipment, or AGE, usage. The test, which took place between August and September for 30 days, was held at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

In relation to fuel efficiency, Capt. Sarah Good, AMC project officer for the APU/AGE test, said it is already known that each airframe has different use rates for its auxiliary power unit, or APU. It is also known that APUs on different airframes burn fuel at different rates.

"AGE burns a certain percentage more efficiently than the average APU," Captain Good said. "So, if it is possible to reduce the APU usage and increase the AGE usage, we can achieve fuel savings."

The FEO also launched initiatives including tanker optimization, to better match tanker sorties to receiver requirements. There is potential for further efficiency gains by better managing tanker training sorties to support receiver training.

They are also looking an initiative called "mission index flying," or MIF. A MIF system allows mobility Airmen to optimize flight planning and execution without requiring an onboard flight management computer system. This minimizes overall operating costs via minimum flight time and minimum fuel burn for the flight.

Continuously building the culture
From the DOD's top leadership to the Airman on the flightline, the culture to inform and involve service members in energy awareness is growing. Under Secretary of the Air Force Erin C. Conaton highlighted the importance of that culture during a recent visit to AMC and Scott AFB.

"Energy is incredibly important for a number of reasons," Secretary Conaton said. "One reason is because we're increasingly reliant upon it -- not only as a service, but also as a joint force. The amount of energy we consume per deployed service member has risen 175 percent since the Vietnam War."

At AMC, the man who chartered the FEO in October 2008, AMC Vice Commander, Lt. Gen. Rusty Findley, said the capacity to better chart the future for fuel efficiency in the command is growing.

"We are charging forward with this program," said General Findley. "We're the pathfinders of this effort for the Air Force, and fuel efficiency is among our command's top priorities. We have our best people working on it because we know it's simply the right thing to do."