TOP STORY >>Two Rock Airmen turn IDEAs into cash

By Staff Sgt Kati Garcia
314th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Two Little Rock Airmen were recently awarded money for their Innovative Development though Employee Awareness program submissions.

Senior Airman Jonathan Lescarbeau, a 314th Communications Squadron Mission Systems Support Technician, received an award of $1,485 for designing a new cable for the base’s Digital Voice Recorder System. “The DVRS computer is used to record all tower communications,” Airman Lescarbeau said. In the past, when the computer’s power supply failed, it was common practice to replace the entire DVRS computer because of an incompatibility of parts.

Airman Lescarbeau suggested replacing only the power supply, devising a way to connect the wires to corresponding pins on the new connecter. According to Airman Lescarbeau, the average cost for the repair is about $33 — $23 for the power supply and an additional $10 for the cable. Compare this to the roughly $8,570 it costs to replace the entire DVRS system. Airman Lescarbeau’s IDEA is currently being reviewed at the Air Force level. Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Merced, an electro-enviornmental craftsman in the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, netted almost $2,850 for his IDEA to troubleshoot an oxygen shut-off valve.

According to Sergeant Merced, the operation check of the liquid oxygen system was missing guidance on a necessary step.
“The addition of troubleshooting the oxygen shut-off valve for internal leaks prior to replacing the LOX converter will save thousands of dollars per repair in tangible money to the Air Force and hundreds of man hours,” the IDEA program discovered.

During the troubleshooting process on two C-130s here, 314th AMXS personnel replaced three LOX converters valued at more than $6,500 each, one build-up valve estimated to cost $325 and two oxygen shut-off values totaling $2,450.
In one year, Sergeant Merced saved more than $17,000.

The IDEA program is an incentive program established to recognize Airmen for their approved IDEAs that benefit the government by streamlining processes or improving productivity and efficiency.

For more information about the Air Force IDEA program, visit the 314th Mission Support Squadron’s Manpower and Organization Flight’s IDEA website at: https://www2.littlerock.af.mil/314msg/mss/mo/IDEA/IDEA_Homepage.asp.