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thedrifter
10-05-09, 01:22 PM
Distinguished guests impressed

10/2/2009 By Cpl. Kristin E. Moreno , Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

The deputy commandant for aviation, Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, and commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Maj. Gen. Raymond C. Fox, along with 26 other distinguished guests toured facilities here Sept. 22 as part of the “Boots on the Ground” site visit. The visit was an effort to see firsthand how Marine Aircraft Group 12 incorporated Continuous Process Improvement toolsets into its maintenance and supply activities.

This was the first time that Navy and Marine commands in Japan hosted the event.

“There was a Marine Corps Order that came out in March of this year, Marine Corps Order 5220.12, and in part of that order the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed the deputy commandant for aviation to ensure that AIRSpeed is being implemented and successful,” said Master Sgt. Rodney A. Dunn, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 AIRSpeed chief here.

According to the Naval Air Systems Command Web site, AIRSpeed is an “enabler for operationalizing cost-wise readiness across the Naval Aviation Enterprise. This project (was) chartered to transform the NAE into a CPI environment that is a demand-based pull system to effectively support the warfighter in an efficient manner.”

The visit consisted of several briefs; service members showcased their process improvements in their work centers and were encouraged to ask questions and directly voice their concerns to senior NAE leadership.

“There was a lot of work that went into the BOG preparation by the Marines from MALS-12. Everyone did a fantastic job at presenting what has been accomplished,” said Dunn. “You can make things look as pretty as you want, but the reality is, if it’s not there, you can see that it’s not there.”

Traditionally, most changes to maintenance and supply policies and practices are directed from the top down, but AIRSpeed encourages junior service members to come up with ideas to maximize efficiency and readiness and present them to their chain of command for implementation.

“The mission of AIRSpeed is continuous process improvement. And currently, where the focus is at is time for reliable replenishment reduction,” said Sgt. Tchaikawsky Samuels, MALS-12 AIRSpeed analyst here.

The goal of AIRSpeed is to decrease cycle time, and identify and reduce non-value added work and inefficiencies. The capabilities and resources of the program are beneficial not only to the military but any business looking to reduce the cost of doing business, improve productivity, and increase customer satisfaction.

“I think Lt. Gen. Trautman’s visit opened up a lot of people’s eyes, and they are starting to see AIRSpeed is not just a phase the Marine Corps is going through. Rather, AIRSpeed is here to stay,” said Dunn.

Ellie