SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The red carpet unrolled as Air Mobility Command honored its energy efficiency superstars, wrapping up Energy Awareness Month with a celebration of innovation.
Both the facility and aviation fuel efficiency offices recognized at total of six individuals and 42 units with awards and incentives for outstanding energy stewardship.
This is the third year of AMC's Facility Energy Incentive Award program. The Installations and Mission Support Directorate granted awards to the top three wings that excelled at saving energy on the ground. In addition to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., earning the top prize of $100,000, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., received $75,000, and Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., received $50,000.
Wing leaders can use the money at their discretion but are encouraged to reinvest it in future initiatives, said Mr. Steve Kalmer, AMC energy and utilities engineering program manager.
For example, in 2010 Dover AFB reinvested its $50,000 incentive in a solar hot water system for one of its dormitories, with construction scheduled to begin in January, said Mr. Charles Mikula at the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst used its $75,000 to help fund an 18-vehicle solar carport structure, said Mr. Barry Miller, base resource efficiency manager.
With its fiscal year 2010 award of $100,000, Travis AFB officials purchased two vertical axis wind turbines to install on the golf course and invested in a human powered gym, which would use retrofitted elliptical machines to capture energy generated by the exercisers, said Ms. Allison Greco, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron.
On the installations side of the house, Travis AFB led the individual and unit-level honors this year, receiving more than $200,000 in combined incentives. During fiscal year 2011, Team Travis worked on new energy projects that are expected to reap more than double the investment in savings.
As part of their effort, they conducted a rigorous awareness campaign that helped to slash electricity use by 7 percent in just one month, thanks in part to individual top winner, Ms. Allison Greco, of the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron.
Mobility Air Forces leadership, along with the AMC Fuel Efficiency Office, also recognized standouts in aviation fuel savings for the first time this year.
Honorees received cash incentives as part of their efforts -- and there is more to come, said Col. Bobby Fowler, AMC Fuel Efficiency Office director. He said they will also recognize the top three overall winners at the Airlift/Tanker Association Convention and Symposium Nov. 3-6.
The Air Force is the second largest consumer of energy in the federal government and has set multiple goals to reduce consumption and increase energy security.
As AMC leans forward to support these goals, mission accomplishment remains the ultimate goal.
Col. Kevin Trayer, AMC Fuel Efficiency Office director of operations, said "effectiveness in mobility air forces" is the cornerstone of what AMC is doing in its energy conservation efforts.
"Getting [resources] to the warfighter on the ground is our first priority. As we accomplish that, we also exercise the responsibility of being good stewards of our nation's resources," Trayer said.
Below is a list of this year's energy conservation superstars. For more information about the AMC's green incentives, visit www.amc.af.mil/energy.
Installation Energy Conservation Excellence
Individual Awards
Ms Allison Greco (60 CES, Travis AFB)
Ms Diana Gilchrist (22 CES, McConnell AFB)
Ms Elizabeth Toftemark (375 CES, Scott AFB)
Base Awards
Travis AFB
Joint Base Charleston
Little Rock AFB
Aviation Fuel Efficiency Recognition
Most Improved Wing
452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
Sortie Reporting Rate -- Highest sortie reporting percentage
C-5 Wing: 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB
C-17 Wing: 305th AMW, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
C-130 Wing (tie): 107th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls International Airport, N.Y.; 914th AW, Niagara Falls
KC-10 Wing: 305th AMW, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
KC-135 Wing: 128th Air Refueling Wiong, Billy Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wisc.
Ramp Fuel Accuracy -- Highest percent accuracy between planned and actual ramp fuel
C-5 Wing: 60th AMW, Travis AFB
C-17 Wing: 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
C-130 Wing: 153rd AW, Cheyenne, Wyo.
KC-10 Wing: 60th AMW, Travis AFB
KC-135 Wing: 108th ARW, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Time in Tanks -- Landing fuel converted to minutes of flying time; goal is to have the lowest average time in tanks
C-5 Wing: 60th AMW, Travis AFB
C-17 Wing: 3rd WG, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
C-130 Wing: 152nd AW, Reno, Nev.
KC-10 Wing: 305th AMW, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
KC-135 Wing: 141st ARW, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
Fueling Accuracy -- Minimizing the number of over-fueled sorties. An over-fuel exists when actual ramp fuel exceeds planned ramp fuel by 1,500 pounds or more
C-5 Wing: 60th AMW, Travis AFB
C-17 Wing: 446th AW, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
C-130 Wing: 153rd AW, Cheyenne, Wyo.
KC-10 Wing: 349th AMW, Travis AFB
KC-135 Wing: 127th ARG, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.
Auxiliary Power Unit Use - Minimizing use; APUs burn approximately six times more fuel than ground power units
C-5 Wing: 164th AW, Memphis, Tenn.
C-17 Wing: 452nd AMW, March ARB
C-130 Wing: 934th AW, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.
KC-10 Wing: 60th AMW, Travis AFB
KC-135 Wing: 101st ARW, Bangor, Maine
Cargo Accuracy -- Airlift wings only; highest percent accuracy between planned and actual cargo weight on mission legs
C-5 Wing: 439th AW, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.
C-17 Wing: 15th Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
C-130 Wing: 86th AW, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Offload Accuracy -- Tanker wings only; highest percent accuracy between planned and actual air refueling offload
KC-10 Wing: 349th AMW, Travis AFB
KC-135 Wing: 134th ARW, Knoxville, Tenn.
Best Overall Squadron
C-5 Squadron: 22nd Airlift Squadron, Travis AFB
C-17 Squadron: 21st AS, Travis AFB
C-130 Squadron: 328th AS, (914th AW), Niagara Falls
KC-10 Squadron: 2nd AS, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
KC-135 Squadron: 151st Air Refueling Squadron, Knoxville
Special Recognition
Outstanding Large Group: 171st ARW, Pittsburgh, Penn.
Outstanding Small Group: 101st ARW, Bangor
Outstanding Leadership: Lt. Col. Rebecca Sonkiss
Outstanding Individual: Lt. Col. Jason Avram
Individual Champion: Mr. Randy Finney