iWAR panel encourages innovative ideas

Photo By Halle Thornton | The 50th Space Wing leadership listen to presenters during the second Innovative Warfighters Advancing Readiness panel at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, May 28, 2019. iWAR’s four primary purposes are to highlight leadership’s empowerment of Airmen to develop new ways to conduct the wing’s missions, to make all Airmen aware of their responsibility and opportunity to increase their unit’s effectiveness, to inform Airmen of the proper process for determining risk and elevating potential process improvements to the right level of implementation and to highlight successful efforts to innovate, integrate and elevate operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Halle Thornton)  

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, UNITED STATES

05.29.2019

Story by Halle Thornton 

50th Space Wing

Three Airmen presented their innovative ideas during the second Innovative Warfighters Advancing Readiness panel at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, May 28.

Airmen were given five minutes to pitch their ideas, followed by a question and answer session.

Col. Jennifer Grant, 50th Space Wing commander, opened with comments about the program.

“We started this iWAR panel as a fast-track opportunity for good ideas to get funding quickly, to solve problems and improve things here, at the wing and across the installation,” she said.

Proposing a green roof on Building 400, 1st. Lt. Kyle Haney, 50th Operations Support Squadron chief of intelligence operations, began the panel with his idea to alleviate negative impacts on the environment, while saving money through energy conservation.

Next was Lucie Holloway, 22nd Space Operations Squadron unit program coordinator, who proposed an idea to provide hands-on defense travel administrator training, potentially saving Schriever AFB thousands of dollars.

Finally, Master Sgt. Jason Bateman, 50th Security Forces Squadron logistics superintendent, presented an idea to incorporate Virtual Battlespace Simulator 3 training, a program that will streamline the training process and save time.

Shana Allen, 50th Force Support Squadron management analyst, said the panel creates opportunities for Airmen to share their ideas with leadership.

“Schriever’s innovation program was implemented by Col. Grant,” she said. “It’s everyone’s opportunity to bring forward any innovative solutions they have.”

Allen added ideas could be organizational or mission related within their squadron.

Leadership deliberated briefly, seeking advice from the 50th Comptroller Squadron, 50th Contracting Squadron and the 50th Judge Advocate office before making a final decision.

The panel decided all three ideas will receive funding.

Allen said panels like these are important to let Airmen know their ideas do not have to go unheard.

“If people have ideas, they can bring them forward and don’t have to walk around with the ideas and not share them,” Allen said.

For more information about iWAR, contact Allen at 567-2780.

• Date Taken: 05.29.2019
• Date Posted: 06.26.2019 16:58
• Story ID: 329318
• Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US