Malmstrom airman's idea earns $10K

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Shannon Nyberg
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFPN) --  Everyone likes to save money and the Air Force is no exception. So when Master Sgt. Bruce Ronke submitted a price challenge saving the Air Force $400,000 annually, the Air Force awarded him $10,000.

Ronke, the former noncommissioned officer in charge of weapons and tactics codes operations here, challenged the price of mechanical code units through the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program after he noticed a drastic price increase over the past year.

"I'm glad there was a way for me to challenge the pricing discrepancy," he said. "Several phone calls, a little research, and of course, paperwork paved the way for a very nice retirement bonus."

Ronke retired from the Air Force on Oct. 1 and is now a civilian code control specialist with the 341st Operations Support Squadron.

The IDEA program gives cash awards to all Air Force military and Air Force federal civilian employees, including local nationals, for sharing their ideas on how to save the Air Force money.

Ronke said he is happy the IDEA program gives everyone an opportunity to be rewarded for his or her ideas.

He recommends that anyone who has an idea that could save the Air Force money should do a little research and submit a proposal. (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service)