Eliminating AF Waste (Fraud/Abuse too)

[disgruntledemployee]

From your e-mail inboxes this AM

Fellow Airmen,

I need your help. Throughout my Air Force career I’ve learned that when times get tough, Airmen consistently figure out a way to "get it done." Today, complex security and fiscal challenges reemphasize the need to capture and implement your innovative ideas for the Air Force and for the Nation. I want to hear from you and I encourage your participation in a 30 day "Airmen Powered by Innovation" call for ideas on how we can cut costs and better fly, fight and win.

There are two options for you to participate in this effort. During the month of May, you can provide your ideas using the Air Force Portal or the Air Force's public website (links below).

1. The Air Force Portal link provides for submission of ideas and/or an interactive discussion forum:

https://www.my.af.mil

2. The Air Force Public Site is set up for access via your mobile device or home computers:

https://www.af.mil

The future of our Air Force starts with you. Providing global reach, vigilance and power requires all of us working together as an unbeatable team. As we face fiscal challenges, we must make prudent choices to ensure the Air Force is able to unleash the full potential of airpower. Each of us must find new ways to win the fight, strengthen the team, and shape the future. Every Airman, every day, can make a difference. Be that Airman and let me know your thoughts on how we can better fly, fight and win!

LARRY O. SPENCER

General, USAF

Vice Chief of Staff

Here is the video/interview:

And here are my top three ideas, which I will post 1 May. In no particular order:

1. Eliminate all AF entertainment groups, except for one AF level band.

2. Eliminate the need for Masters degrees for officers until Lt Col, thus saving money under Tuition Assistance. Those that want to use TA for personal betterment will still do so, but making the Masters requirement go away will reduce the diploma mill use of TA.

3. Lobby Congress to change the way we have to spend our O&M money. If AF saves some of it, we get to roll it over.

Edit: Oh, and I'd love for the Af to post the results of what happened the last time this effort was launched (a few years ago, I think).

Out

Edited April 15, 2013 by disgruntledemployee

[murdocjxx]

Eliminate the use or lose of end of year money. This will save million on unnecessary 50 inch flat screens and other wasteful spending just so we get the same amount of money next year.

[Mandatory]

Tops in Blue

[Cell Dweller]

Eliminate the use or lose of end of year money. This will save million on unnecessary 50 inch flat screens and other wasteful spending just so we get the same amount of money next year.

Better yet, eliminate the culture of "If you did not spend it this year, then you do not need it next year." This should reduce the needless expenditure of funds at the end of FY to justify the same budget next year. On top of that, eliminate the culture that a bigger budget means that a commander is doing his/her job. Being able to justify an inflated budget, then torching it on unneeded items is not good practice.

The best idea that I heard recently was eliminating the color of money. This is more important in acquisitions, but MAJCOMs should have the latitude that if they want to fund a procurement requirement, they should be able to pull from an unused O&M fund, and vice versa. A change like that would be mindblowing.

Geting rid of a funding "expiration date" may not work well, as commanders might just squirrel away money, making budgetting even more complicated.

[SocialD]

Get rid of the thunderbirds...fund an east & west coast demo team instead.

Get rid of the "pots" or "colors" of money.

Fewer Generals.

Unfuck the acquisitions process. We pay 10x as much and get 1/2 to capability...or the shit is already obsolete by the time we get it! Start with JMPS and PEX...

Stop changing uniforms every other year. Also, why does everyone get the "OTW" uniforms, now? Last time I deployed, only people who were actually going "outside the wire," received these uniforms... I thought thenideamofmthe ABU was to be world-wide deployable, so we didn't have to issue more uniforms to go to the desert.

They have already started fixing this, but the whole ORI process costs so much, it's fucking criminal!

Edited April 15, 2013 by SocialD

[czecksikhs]

Holy shit, Steve Urkel made General!

[jetip]

Unpossible.

[matmacwc]

How bout google the airman interviewing the general, yes I'm that guy. You will find her audition to TIB.

[mcbush]

How bout google the airman interviewing the general, yes I'm that guy. You will find her audition to TIB.

That checks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pXh8Ena6aE

[zach braff]

Ha. I made a bet with myself that flat screens would be mentioned within the first 5 replies. It only took one.

zb

[HU&W]

Sometimes I wish the menus at the bowling alley, golf course, and every other food establishment on base were still on traditional signs. They were so much easier to read than the flat screens that continuously display exactly the same information.

Edit: and probably generated a lower electricity bill too.

Edited April 17, 2013 by HU&W

[guineapigfury]

Ha. I made a bet with myself that flat screens would be mentioned within the first 5 replies. It only took one.

zb

What did you win?

[pcola]

What did you win?

An evening with himself, I'm guessing.

[sky_king]

Sometimes I wish the menus at the bowling alley, golf course, and every other food establishment on base were still on traditional signs. They were so much easier to read than the flat screens that continuously display exactly the same information.

Edit: and probably generated a lower electricity bill too.

I really like the fact that if I don't read the menu fast enough, I have to wait 45 seconds for the breakfast menu, drink menu, weekly specials, shout-outs to visiting generals, etc... before it gets back to the menu I was originally looking at. EFFICIENT!!!

[afnav]

I remember the day when I had the entire squadron's flight deck flying schedule on an 18 X 18-inch, opened vanilla folder.

Strange. Everyone maintained their currency and all the flights and deployments were covered.

The folder cost around 75 cents to purchase.

[Termy]

Why isn't the survey posted? Why does it take 13 days from now to submit your ideas? Why did I click on that video? I will fill it out when it shows up.

[17D_guy]

...vanilla folder.

Strange. Everyone maintained their currency and all the flights and deployments were covered and people got a tasty treat.

FTFY.

[Guest one]

My idea...Manage Lts waiting to start training or reclassification in a way that doesn't have them on casual status for longer than a year.

[Learjetter]

My idea...Manage Lts waiting to start training or reclassification in a way that doesn't have them on casual status for longer than a year.

20 years ago, you just waited a year to EAD.

[murdocjxx]

My idea...Manage Lts waiting to start training or reclassification in a way that doesn't have them on casual status for longer than a year.

I waited 8 months to EAD. Be happy you're getting a paycheck and not working at a grocery store making 7.50 an hour like I did.

[HU&W]

My idea...Manage Lts waiting to start training or reclassification in a way that doesn't have them on casual status for longer than a year.

By having them EAD 1 week prior to starting their training.

[guineapigfury]

I waited 8 months to EAD. Be happy you're getting a paycheck and not working at a grocery store making 7.50 an hour like I did.

This.

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I waited 8 months to EAD. Be happy you're getting a paycheck and not working at a grocery store making 7.50 an hour like I did.

You're lucky you got ANY job. I know a LOT of guys who finished ROTC with multiple months to EAD who couldn't get a job AT ALL. Think of it from an employer's perspective-- do you want to hire a dude who is guaranteed to only be there 6-9 months before he leaves to EAD? I know a bunch of dudes who starved or moved back in with mom and dad until their EAD date.

As for the tag on this thread-- every dollar counts, unless it comes from a "different pot of money". Until there is a singular focus on the budget there can be no real improvement in our current situation. You can take away every dime of a squadron's budget and it makes 0.0 impact on O&M because it's a "different pot of money". Same goes for TDYs, PCSs, etc. A SQ/CC should have the ability to roll his end-of-year budget into O&M or carry it over into next year with no penalty; however, this is not the case.

[jazzdude]

There's work to be had if people are look hard enough, at least based on my experience. I had three solid job offers for my time between commissioning and EAD (4 months), 2 of which had better pay then LT pay. That was with the companies knowing I could only work for the summer and no longer with no chance of me accepting a job offer at the end of the internship, but they still were willing to "waste" an internship on me. One of my offers was from networking in college, a friend had been promoted to VP of a company, and offered me job if I needed one while waiting to EAD.

Also helps I didn't go the poli-sci and fly route in college. It also took a lot of work to find the job offers-attending several job/career fairs and putting together several resumes emphasizing different areas.

Or you could do what one of my friends did: go to work, let them know you're a reservist (because technically you are), then just go on an indefinite military leave of absence when you EAD.

[Kelvin]

Or you could do what I did. Spent 6 months as a security guard for a security company that farmed out to government contractors. I told them i had a security clearance and got hired on the spot.