Little Rock Airman has $10,000 idea Published Jan. 6, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Rochelle Clace 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFNS) -- A Little Rock Air Force Base Airman received $10,000 by submitting his idea to save the base more than $230,000 through the Innovation Development through Employee Awareness program. Staff Sgt. William Hoessler, a 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron communication navigation system craftsman, submitted a suggestion to replace wheel interphone control system switches on C-130 Hercules aircraft. "The IDEA program is a customer-oriented program that allows the submission, evaluation and cash or noncash recognition for approved ideas and also provides for timely responses to individuals, groups or teams on the disposition of ideas," said Deborah Anderson, the 19th Force Support Squadron IDEA program manager. "Anyone can submit an idea, but only appropriated fund Air Force members are eligible for a monetary award." "My idea was (for) procedures to allow field-level repair and replacement of aileron control wheel interphone/radio switch instead of the replacement of the whole aileron control wheel, saving the Air Force $234,000 a year," Sergeant Hoessler said. "From the beginning of the idea, I knew there would be money saved, but I never imagined it would be the amount it was." Air Force Technical Order Form 22 permitted a technical order change to allow field level repair of the aileron control wheel interphone/radio switch versus the replacement of the whole aileron control wheel, Sergeant Hoessler said. Included with five interphone/radio switch replacements is six field level repair technical approval requests granting deviation from the available tech data until the AFTO 22 was approved by both Lockheed Martin Aeronautics engineers and the C-130J system program office lead engineer, he said. The IDEA program encourages innovative, creative thinking by Department of Defense personnel. Monetary awards are calculated on first year savings and can be as high as $10,000 for each approved idea that results in tangible savings. For Airmen who would like to submit an idea, call the IDEA program manager for help to submit the idea in the correct format. "Even the littlest idea can earn you money, but more importantly, make your job easier or safer," Sergeant Hoessler said. "The AFTO 22 process is pretty easy but be proactive. My IDEA was denied once, and I had to resubmit." Visit the IDEA Program Data System at https://ipds.randolph.af.mil, to see ideas submitted from all over the globe, click on 'Idea Pool' and use the search tool.