Team Osan working to improve processes

PYEONGTAEK, 41, SOUTH KOREA

08.09.2017

Story by Airman 1st Class Gwendalyn Smith 

51st Fighter Wing

Team Osan held a Continuous Process Improvement event the last week of July at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The event was in succession of a recent green belt academics training and was facilitated by newly certified green belt practitioners.
The green belt program allows personnel to identify problems and reduce waste within a work center through an eight step practical problem solving method.
“Green belts focus on lean problems within squadrons, so reducing waste in processes that they have,” said Master Sgt. Gregory Morris, PACAF CPI manager. “One of the things we wanted to take a look at is the actual mission here at Osan, and give back the Airmen their time from the different processes they work on. Their focus should be on Defending, Executing and Sustaining the wartime mission.”
During the event, four issues among Team Osan were recognized and broken down. This included missed appointments through the 51st Munitions Squadron, Security Forces Enlisted Progress Report process, dorm vacancies in the 51st Force Support Squadron, and the 51st Maintenance Squadron’s Government Purchase Card processes.
“People who just did the green belt training stepped up to take on these four events,” said Morris. “So now these new green belts are taking the new skillset they have and applying it to solve problems that are within the individual squadrons.”
Immediately applying their new skills allows green belt practitioners to see the effects they can have on their squadrons and allows them to find issues beyond surface level.
“This really helps you see the bigger picture,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Hines, 51st SFS member. “Working in security forces, you may not always see certain aspects of not only our career field, but the Air Force as a whole. So coming to this you see more of the reasoning and why it’s not so easy to just put a band aide on it and why it’s important to find the root cause and solutions. You don’t see those things just on the surface, but when you get involved with things like CPI you can start peeling back those layers and see the real problem.”
The program is just one of many set in place to help the Air Force and its members to focus on the mission and encourage a culture of innovation.
Airmen of all ranks and civilian employees can volunteer to become green belt certified.
For more information please contact Senior Master Sgt. Eric Champagne.
OFFICE DSN: 315-784-8393

• Date Taken: 08.09.2017
• Date Posted: 08.09.2017 02:59
• Story ID: 244268
• Location: PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR