Base uses new AFSO 21 office to focus on improving processes Published May 20, 2007 By 379th AEW Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Budget cuts have energized the Air Force to look at the way Airmen do business. With fewer people and less money, the search for lean ideas has swept across the service and Airmen at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing have responded. The 379th AEW Plans and Programs office is now the central point for funneling ideas from wing personnel for Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century. "The reason for having one central wing office that's watching over the process is to make sure that AFSO 21 has credibility and visibility from the top, all the way to the individuals on the line that make the program tick," said Maj. James Leavenworth, chief of 379th AEW Plans and Programs. "We need Airmen at every level to speak up when they see processes that can be more efficient." AFSO 21 is a way the Air Force can work smarter in a time when it is trimming down and trying to save money. Recently, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne commented on the new way of thinking about efficiency. "It doesn't just look at how we can do each task better, but asks the tougher, more important questions 'Why are we doing it this way? Is each of the tasks relevant, productive and value added?,'" the secretary said. "In other words, is it necessary? With AFSO 21, we will march unnecessary work out the door." Airmen should feel a sense of empowerment since no process is immune from this critical review. Dozens of initiatives were submitted by 379th AEW personnel last rotation. For example, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron Airmen submitted an initiative, to revise how some specialized heavy equipment is leased. Before the initiative, the heavy equipment was leased on an annual basis. Since the vehicles were infrequently used, the 379th ECS asked if there was a more cost-effective way to retain their capability and save money. A team from 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron, 379th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle fleet management, and the communications squadron met to identify alternative leasing methods for the infrequently used, yet necessary, heavy equipment. A blanket purchase agreement was researched that allows the 379th ECS to lease the vehicles on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. These options let customers pay for the equipment only when it is needed. If 379th ECS leases the equipment for one month this year, the initiative will save about $300,000 per year. Last rotation, Airmen also completed AFSO 21 initiatives to streamline in-processing to the wing and the distribution of mobility gear and individual body armor for forward deployers, saving thousands of hours each rotation. Additionally, the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron implemented the "Field Food Headcount" system at the dining facilities on base. The AFSO 21 initiative allows Department of Defense employees who have common access cards to scan their cards to sign in for meals. This new system consolidates meal headcounts instead of collecting and adding up sign-in sheets, eliminating the need to store thousands of sheets of paper each month. Information on submitting and initiating projects currently in the works can be found on the base AFSO 21 intranet page.