Ellsworth practices smart operations

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  In an effort to streamline processes by maximizing value and minimizing waste, the Air Force implemented the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century program in 2006.

Airmen at Ellsworth are encouraged to roll AFSO21 practices into the application of their core values.

"AFSO21 is not just a slogan, bumper sticker or a change in the way we do business," said Michael T. Summers, 28th Bomb Wing AFSO21 transformation specialist. "It's the performance of excellence in all we do, which is one of the Air Force's core values, and the business we should all operate in all the time."

Mr. Summers said AFSO21 is not a change to the Air Force culture so much as it's a means to reduce waste, improve efficiency and save man-hours.


"We all have the responsibility of ensuring our Nation's defense and posterity by protecting the resources for which we have been entrusted," he said. "That includes reducing the waste, or non-value added steps and actions, in our everyday efforts, jobs, functions, systems and processes."

Ellsworth is investing time and resources into the professional development of a select number of Airmen. Mr. Summers said once Airmen become certified AFSO21 experts they're able to foster and facilitate continuous process improvement opportunities throughout the base.

Mr. Summers encourages Ellsworth Airmen to get involved with AFSO21 by thinking in terms of performance, rather than activity.

"It's not what we put into it, but what we get out," he said. "It's also not what we do, it's why we do it; and it's not the planning and execution, it's the results."

For example, if an Airman plans and executes the "perfect training mission," but violates a treaty in the process, then they missed the desired outcome of the operation. Mr. Summers says it's important to use the chain of command as a means to improve operations, work smarter and more efficiently.

"While we always want to resolve issues at the lowest level, we don't want to ignore the value in reporting a smart operations idea up the chain of command," said Chief Master Sergeant Clifton Cole, 28th Bomb Wing command chief. "Our Airmen should understand both how to perform their job and why it is important to the overall mission."