Airman earns $10k through IDEA program

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) --  A staff sergeant here had a good idea that led to a $10,000 payday.

Staff Sgt. Jonnie Deitz, a 4th Component Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion journeyman, is the most recent member of the Seymour Johnson AFB community to receive an Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness Program payout.

The IDEA Program awards Airmen who have smart proposals that lead to improvements or monetary savings, with payments based on the merits of their recommendation. Sergeant Deitz's idea could save the Air Force $359,000.

"I was very excited and in shock," Sergeant Deitz said. "I think I actually screamed and danced a little when I heard about the payout. My supervision said with the data they figured, I may get $2,000. We all were amazed with the amount."

Sergeant Deitz submitted an idea to change the cleaner used on augmentor fuel controls based on her experiences with fuel control engine stall. In researching the problem, she learned there was an environmentally friendly general purpose cleaner that could replace the petroleum-based cleaner being used at her shop.

After forming her idea, Sergeant Deitz had to sell it, which Tynisha Williams, the 4th Force Support Squadron base IDEA Program manager, feels is the most difficult part of the program.

"A lot of times, ideas have been submitted, but the submitter does not have the information or documentation to back it up," Ms. Williams said. "In order to sell your idea, you have to quantify the numbers with information like how much will it save the Air Force and how much the process used to cost compared to how much it will cost if your idea is implemented."

In order to sell her idea, Sergeant Deitz ran controlled tests to determine if the new cleaner could save the Air Force money.

"Once we found out about the (environmentally friendly cleaner), we filled out a waiver to test it on our controls," she said. "We cleaned 83 (augmentor fuel controls using the new cleaner) on about half of them, and found that the pass rate was about 5 percent higher, and the cleaning time was cut in half."

Given the scope of her idea, Sergeant Deitz was not able to test the process alone. She received help from people in her office throughout the testing process.

"My flight helped a lot," she said. "With the amount of AFCs we cleaned, there was a lot of work to be done. This was also my first time ever doing an Air Force Technical Order 22, or the IDEA Program, so my supervision helped me with the paperwork."

Rewards for the IDEA Program have been given to individuals from many different Air Force career fields.

"Ideas should be submitted that show some type of insight on how the Air Force can increase productivity by doing things cheaper, faster and better," Ms. Williams said. "If a person notices something in their office they have been doing that costs the Air Force thousands of dollars, but they have an idea on how it can be done cheaper, then they should submit those ideas."

Submissions are not limited to the office of the person who submits the idea, Ms. Williams explained. People can look at other offices and work areas and make suggestions on how to save money or manpower by changing processes or adding equipment.

"Some ideas have been submitted on safety issues which are nontangible, but still have a payout of $200," Ms. Williams said. "And, like the $10,000 award for Sergeant Deitz, some are changes to a technical order."

To submit an idea, eligible Department of Defense ID cardholders can log on to the IPDS website at https://ipds.randolph.af.mil/ipds and click on "Start a new IDEA." For more information about the program, people can call their base IDEA Program manager.