Airman's sharp eye saves AF $348K

News > Airman's sharp eye saves AF $348K

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Master Sgt. Ernest Harrison, 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, at the U.S. Army Logistics Civil Augmentation Program port Southwest Asia Apr 16, 2013. Harrison saved the Air Force $348K when he found a misplaced U-30 Aircraft Tow Tractor that mistakenly dropped off the inventory list during changeover with his predecessor. (Courtesy photo)
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Airman's sharp eye saves AF $348K

Posted 4/22/2013

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by Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

4/22/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- As Air Force officials seek to institute a culture change through the "Every Dollar Counts" campaign, one deployed airman's determination helped to save more than a third of a million dollars

Master Sgt. Ernest Harrison, 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron transportation management office superintendent, was working his liaison officer duties at a host-nation port when something caught his eye.

"I saw this massive piece of equipment, but had no idea it was an Air Force asset," Harrison said. "My predecessor gave me a list of all the assets I needed to track, and this was not one of them."

The item in question, a 50-ton U-30 aircraft tow tractor, had somehow dropped off the inventory list during the changeover.

"Normally it's dark when I finish my work, but on this particular day, I finished early and took a couple of pictures of this thing," Harrison said. "I wrote down the weight and the tag number and sent it to the Air Forces Central guy in charge of all the vehicles in the region."

As it turns out, AFCENT was in the process of ordering a new U-30 to support the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's C-17 operations.

"He wrote me back and said, 'Where did you find this thing?' and I said, 'It was sitting out here in the middle of a field all by itself,' and the best part was it started right up," Harrison said.
Harrison's detective work allowed AFCENT to cancel the equipment order and scratch the C-17 mission slated to transport the 100,000 pound U-30, saving the Air Force $348,571.73.

Though Harrison will not receive a monetary award, as do those who submit money-saving ideas through the Air Force's Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness Program, he's glad he was able to save his service a substantial sum.

"As you know, the budget is tight," he said, "and just knowing I saved the Air Force this money is a great feeling."

Comments

5/1/2013 4:36:39 AM ET
Come on now PA this isn't a story. You're asking the man to interview and put his name out there for doing his job. Now all the sarcastic criticism flies. You should know better than to skew a headline when all this story does is present avoiding an embarrassing mistake. Thank God the Msgt did his homework.

Roginald, Baghdad

4/30/2013 12:56:16 PM ET
This man needs to be coined

Leo, JB Charleston

4/29/2013 9:35:06 AM ET
Seriously Maj Home For a Change. Forgot where you parked your car 27 times. Theres an app for people like you that tracks where you park your car. Short term memory loss. May I suggest luminosity.com Smiley Face Now where did I put my car keys

SNCO Ret, Scott

4/26/2013 1:31:57 AM ET
This year alone I've saved myself 540000 dollars by finding my 20000 dollar car after work the 27 times I've forgotten where I parked it in the morning. So there.

Maj, Home for a change

4/25/2013 9:57:38 PM ET
This one time at Band Camp...well you get the rest...he did his job...kudos...

Me, at my desk

4/25/2013 11:32:59 AM ET
How does a 100000 pound vehicle drop off the inventory AFCENT was simply going to buy a new one no questions asked An LRS MSgt had no idea it was an AF asset How many other service branches are there at the 386 AEW that use this heavy tug

Sgt Snorkle, USA

4/24/2013 6:35:29 PM ET
I went hiking in Alaska last summer and got major lost but fortunately found myself which ultimately saved the Air Force the cost of replacing me. Let me know when you want to do a story.

Belo, JBER

4/24/2013 3:42:01 PM ET
This guy should retrain into finance he's so good at saving money

Seriously, US

4/23/2013 4:07:42 PM ET
A few years back I saved the AF almost a million doing my job by installing an antenna where was my story

Did my job, All Over

4/23/2013 1:38:27 PM ET
In the old Air Force home station and deployed equipment was inventoried and tracked via a CACRL account. Anytime custodial responsibility changed during PCS or deployment turnovers an inventory was required. Anything identified as missing required a Report of Survey investigation by a neutral third party to determine accountability for the loss. Obviously that doesn't happen anymore.

John, Retired

4/23/2013 11:24:56 AM ET
Next article Crew Chief saves the AF an F-22 by turning wrench.Great job but I don't see the story here.No Offense

TSgt Public Affairs, USA

4/23/2013 9:44:54 AM ET
I saved almost three times this amount by finding a third party to refurbish mission essential equipment similar to their own while I was deployed. Where's my news article

Adekyn, NE

4/23/2013 9:35:29 AM ET
Give him a little cash. Set the precedent that we are a cost concious culture. Saving money is often more difficult than walking past the problem as this NCO could have done. I remember a few years ago after one of our annual furniture buys we took the year old stuff to DRMO. We talked to two or three folks to try to get the stuff turned in. The paperwork was ridiculous and no one could agree on exactly how to do it. The furniture ended up in the dump across the street.

Chief, Peterson

4/23/2013 8:01:00 AM ET
Shouldn't there be a follow up story about a report of survey Or is no one held accountable for this

RADHAZ, Ft Gordon

4/23/2013 1:51:31 AM ET
I would not say he saved the AF any money since it will just be spent somewhere else. Kudos to the MSgt for following through on something that most people would not have given a second thought.

DCAL, Nebraska

4/23/2013 1:34:15 AM ET
You miss the point Maj. How many times would this have continued on in the past and we just would have owned two new assets instead of one He went above and beyond by coordinating with AFCENT and others and outside his normal chain of command. Great job MSgt Harrison and way to keep an eye out for the taxpayer.

Loggie 4, Over There

4/23/2013 1:31:21 AM ET
Misleading title as 348K would not have been saved. Instead 348K would have been misused due to problems with apparent inventory problems and proper control of property.Kudo's to MSgt Harrison for taking his job seriously and finding the 'missing' 30K tractor. The real story is who dropped the ball and how we're rectifying the problem.

Lemmy, Europe

4/23/2013 1:26:38 AM ET
I'm sure if everyone paid attention and did their jobs billions of dollars could be recouped from equipment just lying around every base.

DT, Nellis

4/22/2013 11:16:02 PM ET
Good on you MSgt H It's so easy to walk past a problem....or a chance to make a difference in the AOR with that whatever...I'm deployed attitude. Keep getting after it

Hard Facts of Life, Needs of the AF

4/22/2013 7:33:18 PM ET
When I saw the story title I thought this Msgt came with a innovative idea or something to save the AF money. What next a story about a maintainer fixing an aircraft a firefighter putting out a fire or a comptroller doing...what ever it is that they do

LOL, Super

4/22/2013 6:02:59 PM ET
Good stuff MSgt Harrison from one transporter to another. The strange things that appeardisappear in the vehicle world never seizes to amaze me. I remember when HMMWVs would disappear overnight. @I SPY the UKE was just misaligned it wasnt lost. Just let us know if you keep losing paperclips we can send you some to keep you out of trouble with your boss.

Karl R, DM AFB

4/22/2013 1:33:28 PM ET
I lost a paperclip the other day my boss got mad. I can't believe this story shows how poorly some people understand what they are responsible for. How do you lose a tractor

I SPY, Nowhere

4/22/2013 1:13:17 PM ET
Nice job MSgt Ernest Harrison Sometimes taking that extra step really pays off in this case quite literally. Congrats on the promotion too

Ken Sheide, Langley

4/22/2013 10:44:11 AM ET
Copy....you did your job. Congrats

Maj, Base ops

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