AFSOC supports ‘Every Dollar Counts’ initiative

In the wake of sequestration, Air Force leaders are calling upon Airmen to share their best money-saving ideas through the Every Dollar Counts campaign.
Since Air Force Special Operations Command is at the tip of the spear, both in garrison and deployed, Air Commandos are in the best position to identify potential cost-saving measures, according to Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, AFSOC commander.
The Every Dollar Counts campaign begins May 1.
Both uniformed and civilian Air Force members can participate in the month-long open call for ideas and share their creative and efficient ways to save money and time through the Airmen Powered by Innovation website.
“When things get tough, Airmen figure out a way to get it done,” said Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer. “We have some of the most innovative folks in the world, so I know there are ideas about how we can do things better.”
The Air Force stopped flying one third of active duty combat-coded fighter squadrons in April and is projected to slow down or stop the flow of aircraft and engines in the depots.
Furthermore, the Air Force must trim about $11 billion in the last half of fiscal year 2013 and the overseas contingency operations funding is almost $2 billion short.
“We have to squeeze a year’s worth of cuts into about six months,” Spencer said of the Air Force budget. “So there’s a lot of money to be taken out of our budget in a short period of time ... I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
Airmen at every level should feel less encumbered by perhaps dated or unnecessary Air Force Instructions or guidelines when brainstorming cost-cutting measures, Spencer said.
“Airmen Powered by Innovation means to go into that file of good ideas that were maybe ‘too hard to do,’ pull them out and submit them,” he said. “Whether it’s $500, $1 million or $30 million, we want to hear it because those dollars add up. We’re taking every angle we can to manage our money and ‘buy’ as much mission as we can. In that sense, every Airman, whether they’re at a wing or headquarters can help.”
Fiel emphasized we need Airmen at every level to participate so we can save time and money.
“If their ideas make sense and we can remove the requirement, we’ll adjust to help fund higher readiness priorities across the Air Force,” he said.