WASHINGTON -- More than 8,000 money-saving ideas have cascaded into the Pentagon from across the Air Force this month.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer launched the Airmen Powered by Innovation Challenge May 1, challenging uniformed and civilian Airmen to find places to save money across the service, no matter how big or small.
"If there are things we can do better, if there are things we can stop doing, or if there are ideas (Airmen) have on how we can better manage our money... we want to hear it," Spencer said.
When Airmen click "submit," on one of two websites, their ideas fall directly into the hands of Spencer's team of action officers here, who dedicate their time to receiving ideas and tasking them out for consideration.
"Chaotic, at best, is what it's like working in here, because all these ideas are flowing through considerably. It takes me personally, on average, about 10-15 minutes to process each idea," Master Sgt. Joel Meyer said.
Meyer, a security forces Airman by trade, said this is a unique opportunity for today's Airmen.
"It's an opportunity for Airmen in the field to provide an idea straight to the top, and not have that filter of that staff sergeant on their flight, or master sergeant, or (operations) officer," Meyer said. "They don't have to go through any of that ... they can get (their idea) right to General Spencer."
Airmen who may be holding back due to reservations about confidentiality should think again.
"The people who are responsible for filtering that (submission) and looking into it deeper -- they have no idea who it is. So don't be apprehensive. Submit it," Meyer said.
Uniformed and civilian Airmen can submit their ideas on how to squeeze the most out of every Air Force dollar via the Air Force portal, or EveryDollar.DoDLive.Mil; the opportunity is live until June 1.
