380 ECES faces green challenge

Courtesy Photo | SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The Air Force strives every day to fly, fight and win, while also focusing on environmental friendly initiatives in an effort to reduce costs through recycling and renewable energy projects. While not always a top priority for some Airmen, these environmentally conscious endeavors are brought to the forefront every year on April 22, as the world celebrates Earth Day. (Graphic courtesy of U.S. Air Force)  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

04.22.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Samantha Mathison 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The Air Force strives every day to fly, fight and win, while also focusing on environmental friendly initiatives in an effort to reduce costs through recycling and renewable energy projects.

While not always a top priority for some Airmen, these environmentally conscious endeavors are brought to the forefront every year on April 22, as the world celebrates Earth Day.

In the last fiscal year alone, the Air Force managed 311 renewable energy projects at 104 sites. One of which was at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which runs two solar arrays capable of meeting 42 percent of energy required to power the installation; the largest solar power plant in the Department of Defense.

Environmental initiatives such as this contributed to the Air Force’s 21 percent reduction in energy usage since 2003 and keep the service on track to achieve its goal of cutting energy use 37.5 percent by 2020.

The approach the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here takes to help achieve the Air Force’s green goals is through the base recycling program.

Lt. Col. David, 380 ECES commander, said that it takes a lot of teamwork between members of the 380 ECES environmental office, the service contracts section and the expeditionary contracts office to find low-cost ecofriendly solutions for waste disposal.

“It’s challenging to find the waste streams, to find the contractors off base that will come on-base to recycle at no-cost, or even pay for it,” David said. “We team together to continually research off-base contractors who can receive and properly dispose of our recyclable material, which defers expenses incurred by shipping waste off base.”

A few local contractors take some types of waste for free, such as used oil, fuel and vehicle batteries, which saves the Air Force an estimated $85,000 per year.

“I think it’s very valuable because you’re trying to look at processes to improve not just our workplace, but the environment,” David said. “So anything that we can do to extend, recycle or reuse material is a benefit.”

The 380 ECES handles plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard and scrap metal, which saves an estimated $5,000 per month, and are fully capable of recycling hazardous waste, such as the coolant used in power generators.

Airmen like TSgt Ricardo, 380 ECES shift crew leader, collect used coolant and process it through a coolant reclaimer, which returns 60 percent of fluid to be used again. He said this is important because host nation power can shut off without warning and the backup generators need coolant to support mission critical facilities on base.

“Being able to recycle, especially in locations like this when you don’t always have new coolant, is a big step because you can keep the power running,” Ricardo said. “It’s essential to the mission for facilities to maintain 24/7 communications with the planes in the air so they can get bombs on target.”

The 380 ECES strives to keep the mission in perspective while helping the environment, and understands success depends on the actions taken by Airmen every day.

“The first thing Airmen can do is to put the recyclables into the appropriate bins,” MSgt Ronald, 380 ECES noncommissioned officer in charge of service contracts, said. “In the dorms we’re not capturing a lot of the recyclables because they’re going into a wastebasket inside the dorm that’s not sorted and then it ends up in the refuse.”

Ronald manages the recycling contracts with locals to make sure recyclable items are picked up and disposed of properly. He said that they also offer recycling bins that Airmen can use in the dorms.

Small actions like this can reap huge rewards. According to Col. Johnny Barnes, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander, recycling properly serves the mission, helps the Air Force save money and makes for a cleaner planet for the future force.

"Earth Day recognizes the individual conservation efforts of millions culminating into Earth-sustaining outcomes,” Barnes said. “Personnel here contributed to recycling over 657 tons of materials in 2015 valued at over $64,000, returning nearly $39,000 to U.S coffers. Recycling also defers disposal costs, extends the life of existing landfills, minimizes the cost of producing primary materials and reduces the need to develop new raw material resources. This is great example of how the small efforts by many can result in significant savings.”

For more information and tips on what every Airman can do to make a difference, visit the Air Force’s Earth Day page at http://www.afcec.af.mil/news/earthday

• Date Taken: 04.22.2016
• Date Posted: 04.22.2016 02:57
• Story ID: 196178
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)