MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.,-- The 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, Col. April Vogel, hosted the first Fuel Tank event at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, June 27, 2018. Fuel Tank, much like the Air Force’s Spark Tank competition, called upon Airmen to pitch their innovative ideas to 6th AMW leadership.
Sixteen Airmen submitted 12 ideas to be a part of the 10 that will receive funding from the $237,000 dedicated by wing leadership.
For some Airmen, these ideas were a culmination of years of hard work and planning finally paying off.
“The first time I tried to reach the 12 o’clock position on a KC-135 engine I realized there were serious constraints preventing me from doing my job,” said Tech Sgt. Eric Holton, support section NCO in charge assigned to the 6th Maintenance Squadron. “I never had the avenue to express my idea and funding was never there.”
Through the encouragement and funding of Fuel Tank, Holton garnered a $75,000 award towards his F-108 engine maintenance stand initiative and hopes to implement the stand throughout the Air Force.
Another $50,000 was granted to the Airman Leadership School commandant and dining facility to purchase tablets in an effort to go paperless, saving time and money.
“My goal is to take MacDill’s Airman Leadership School out of the Stone Age to the 21st century,” said Master Sgt. Matthew Orlando, ALS commandant with the 6th Force Support Squadron.
Overall, the Wing funded a thermal imaging camera, power converters and air conditioners for the KC-135, skin cancer detection software and sunscreen dispensers, a dorm resident app, a digital photo studio scheduling program, customer service training for the 6th Medical Group and continuous process improvement training for the wing.
“I was blown away,” exclaimed. Chief Master Sgt. Sarah Sparks, the command chief of the 6th AMW. “We have amazing Airmen with innovative ideas and I think this is going to spark the future of this wing.”