AMCOM employees improve UH-72 environmental footprint at Fort Rucker

Courtesy Photo | Meeting environmental requirements on the UH-72 Lakota helicopter while ensuring the just-in-time acquisition and delivery of hazardous materials to Fort Rucker, Alabama, mechanics not only enhances the protection of environmental assets but also sustains the Army’s ability to effectively train and maintain readiness (Courtesy Photo)  

REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, UNITED STATES

10.31.2017

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

By GENIE JONES
AMCOM G4/Aviation Center Logistics Command Environmental

Lean Six Sigma techniques are making a difference in developing conservation practices for the handling of hazardous materials associated with maintenance of the UH-72 Lakota aircraft at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

The conservation practices have improved the quality of life for both personnel working at Fort Rucker and for the communities surrounding the installation.

A team of employees from the Aviation and Missile Command G-4 (Logistics) Environmental Division at Redstone Arsenal and AMCOM’s Aviation Center Logistics Command at Fort Rucker along with employees from Fort Rucker’s Logistics Readiness Center, Utility Helicopter (UH-72) Program Management Office, Garrison and the aircraft maintenance contractor have used Lean Six Sigma techniques to improve mission performance while enhancing environmental quality on the newly fielded UH-72 Lakota aircraft.

ACLC and its contractor team provide quality aviation maintenance and logistics support to the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker. ACLC ensures quality aviation material readiness, supply chain management and property administration in support of institutional aviation requirements.

ACLC administers the largest aviation maintenance contract in the Army for more than 600 helicopters used in flight training operations. The aviation maintenance contract employs more than 4,000 personnel who support flight and maintenance operations around the clock.

The ACLC UH-72 Team’s success was accomplished by implementing Lean Six Sigma techniques to facilitate mission and promote compliant hazardous material conservation practices on the Lakota aircraft. The team focused on the hazardous materials’ lifecycle and promoted just-in-time acquisitions of environmentally sustainable products. As a result, the ACLC UH-72 Team has:

• Enhanced readiness by reducing the wait time for maintenance chemicals to reach Fort Rucker mechanics. The ACLC UH-72 Team reduced the chemical approval review time from an average 19.5 days to 13.7 days, which equates to an avoidance cost reduction of $332,531 in lost pilot training time per consumable material. With 28 new consumable materials delivered in the past 12 months, the cost avoidance to pilot training is more than $9 million.
• Reduced the use of non-conforming consumable materials by 81 percent. By reducing the amount of non-conforming consumable materials and ensuring only compliant products are available for use, the ACLC UH-72 Team minimized risk to the community while also reducing waste cost of $4.30 per consumable material. Costs were reduced by more than $600 in fiscal year 2017.
• Guaranteed compliance with Fort Rucker’s air permit. The AMCOM G-4 Environmental Hot Line Team reviewed the most used consumable materials and recommended more than 50 chemical alternatives the comply with the installation’s air permit.
• Supported air contaminant and waste minimization requirements. The ACLC UH-72 Team promoted sustainable procedures for acquiring hazardous materials that support air contaminant and waste minimization.
• Clarified new contract requirements to ensure mission success.

Through changes in institutional chemical review processes, prepositioning of compliant hazardous materials and procurement procedure changes, the ACLC UH-72 Team is working to improve environmental quality at and around Fort Rucker. The ACLC UH-72 Team has enhanced the community’s environmental quality by reducing the mission’s environmental footprint while reducing the risk of additional costs to pilot training due to aircraft maintenance delays.

In addition, adoption of requirements into contractor performance criteria continues quality successes and enhances mission readiness while supporting Army sustainability practices.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2017
• Date Posted: 10.31.2017 15:47
• Story ID: 253662
• Location: REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US
• Hometown: REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US