Big Idea: Civilian employee rewarded $10,000 for developing cost saving measure

Published July 7, 2010
By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- On June 28, Rick Griebel received the biggest check of his life, literally. The check, which was more than 3 1/2 feet long, was written for $10,000 and signed by Lt. Gen. Rusty Findley, Air Mobility Command vice commander.

Mr. Griebel was awarded the incentive check through the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness, or IDEA, Program for an initiative which is estimated to save AMC more than $2 million in the next 15 years.

Mr. Griebel didn't expect recognition when he originally procured an automated, on-demand box-making machine and high capacity shredder at Scott Air Force Base. He was just trying to improve cargo operations, help Airmen be more effective in their jobs, and do his part to save the Air Force money. Using unit funds in 2006, Mr. Griebel procured the equipment, enabling shop personnel flexibility to quickly create boxes "right-sized" to the items being shipped, and the ability to create box filler material from recycled cardboard scraps. The initiative at Scott reduced Cargo Operations storage space requirements, dependence on plastic filler material by 30 percent, eliminated 95 percent of cardboard waste, and slashed supply costs by 60 percent per container. Bottomline, it saves DoD transportation customer's real dollars.

After purchasing the equipment, Mr. Griebel spent the next several years tracking savings and demonstrating the equipment to anyone interested. During an AFSO21 senior leader tour of the Packing and Crating shop's local improvement efforts, AMC leaders became interested in expanding this initiative to other bases in the command.

The years of collecting supply reduction cost data were critical in AMC's effort to justify potential offset savings, and led to a fiscal year 2010 decision to select six AMC wings and fund a similar equipment investment through the Air Force Productivity Enhancing Capital Investment program, or PECI. The $440,000 command investment project is expected to generate $2.1 million in supply cost savings over the life of the equipment.

Innovative ideas like this are what lead people like Mr. Griebel, the originator of the box-maker and shredder concept, to receive well-deserved recognition and monetary awards through the Air Force IDEA program.

"It's great to see we're rewarding our teammates for great ideas," said Col. Michael Hornitschek, 375th AMW commander. "We value the initiative Mr. Griebel displayed, and appreciate the outstanding results."

"Thank you for the energy, the stamina and the perseverance to see this idea through," added General Findley.

Mr. Griebel said he couldn't do it alone.

"I owe a lot to the guys up in headquarters. I couldn't have finished it without them," he said.

The AF IDEA Program is an incentive program which recognizes submitters for their approved ideas that benefit the Air Force through streamlined processes, improved productivity and cost savings. Approved initiatives generating tangible savings for the Air Force often result in grand-scale rewards to individuals credited with ownership of the idea, who may be eligible for cash awards ranging from $200 to $10,000 based on validated first-year savings.

The Air Force PECI program helps conserve critical Air Forces resources by providing accelerated funding for more efficient equipment or facilities designed to improve productivity and reduce waste. Projects are funded on the basis of their ability to generate identifiable benefits and savings that offset total investment costs in a brief period of time. The PECI program invests an average of $11 million each year, and boasts sustained life cycle savings of over $110 million.

Big Idea pays off