Dover AFB Innovation Month: Submit your innovative ideas now! Published May 8, 2018 By Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The Dover AFB Innovation Month kicked off May 1, 2018, to encourage Airmen to share ideas for process and asset procurement, facility improvement or any other innovation that would help them do their job more efficiently or effectively. This initiative is Team Dover’s unique approach to fulfilling the Air Force’s current squadron innovation initiatives, said Capt. Lance Mazzella, 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron operations officer and one of the DAFB Innovation Month coordinators. “We need our squadrons to be aggressively persistent and take risks in the pursuit of new ideas and solutions,” said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein in February. “No one knows the problems we face day-to-day more than the Airmen in our squadrons.” In an Air Force article published February 23, Goldfein announced that Air Force Total Force squadrons will receive new funding authority to make reality Airmen-led innovations that increase readiness, reduce cost, return time back to Airmen or enhance lethality of the force. The Air Force set aside $64 million in a “Squadron Innovation Fund” to distribute to squadrons around the world. The 436th Airlift Wing received $450,000 for squadron innovation. Wing leadership decided to set aside $100,000 at the wing level to fund larger Airmen-led innovations. The rest of the allotted funds were distributed to each squadron throughout the wing. “We’re calling the month of May ‘Dover Air Force Base Innovation Month,’ and we want as many people as possible to send us their ideas for improving their units,” said Master Sgt. Matthew Lucas, 436th Maintenance Group Maintenance Operations first sergeant and Dover AFB Innovation Month committee member. “Everybody has an idea, from a [colonel] to an [airman basic]. We’ll take your idea. We’ll review it and see if it’s a legitimate idea. After that, we’ll contact the squadron commander to get an idea of how much the idea will cost and then decide if it’s a viable option.” Airmen with innovative ideas to improve productivity or save time during day-to-day task completion should submit their ideas through the Feedback section on the Dover AFB App. Each and every idea submitted by Airmen will be considered for funding. Airmen shouldn’t be concerned with how expensive their idea is. “The sky’s the limit,” Lucas said. “We want people to be as creative as possible, so we don’t want to hand-cuff ideas.” “We’re not looking for one $100,000 idea,” Mazzella added. “It could be ten different $10,000 ideas. We’re flexible on the type of idea. It doesn’t matter how big it is or how little it is; we are not going to be discriminatory toward the scope of ideas.” The committee also received authorization to provide incentives to Airmen who submit good ideas, whether funded or not. Each submission the council deems to be a good idea will award the submitter a day off approved through wing leadership. The individual will also be congratulated in an email sent to their squadron leadership. Additionally, each squadron will hold their own competition. The most innovative Airman will receive the Squadron Top Innovator Award and an additional day off. This competition will also occur at the group and wing level with winners accruing a day off for each level award. The squadron with the most innovation submissions will also receive one day off for each and every member assigned. The wing must submit their final plan for funding no later than May 31. The DAFB Innovation Month committee set the final deadline for submissions as May 25. “We’re very keen on spending the $100,000 we have,” Mazzella said. “We’re receptive to all ideas. We want to improve the Dover AFB experience, and this is a great opportunity to do just that.” The committee will review submissions daily as they come in and plans to discuss submissions in weekly committee meetings. To date, Airmen of the 436th AW have submitted nearly a dozen innovation ideas with little to no advertisement and the committee hopes to receive many more. “It doesn’t matter what your rank is,” Mazzella said. “It doesn’t matter how much experience you have. Everybody’s perspective is vital. It doesn’t matter if it’s the crusty chief who’s been in for 30 years or an airman basic who’s been here for 30 days. Everybody’s input is equally important. Everybody has a great idea, we just want to hear it. We want to use $100,000 to make your innovation ideas a reality.”