'I am Air Force Energy' campaign kicks off at McConnell

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina M. Brisbin
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  October, "Energy Action Month," provides an opportunity to promote energy and water conservation awareness to Airmen as part of a national campaign led by the Department of Energy. 

The 2012 EAM theme, "I am Air Force Energy," puts the Airman at the center of the campaign.

The goal is to inspire Airmen to make a commitment to a continual change in organizational and personal energy use and to help them realize they can make a difference in overall Air Force energy efforts.

"Every Airman is charged to make energy a consideration in all we do and through active awareness and training programs we enforce that charge," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, the Air Force Civil Engineer. "We must take the lead in energy conservation, renewable energy utilization and energy security as the Air Force seeks to save energy, reduce costs and keep our country insulated from the volatility energy engenders."

All the data is not in yet, but the Air Force estimates it spent more than $10 billion on energy in fiscal year 2012, almost 10 percent of its total budget.

Here at McConnell the 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron has embraced these goals by installing a four kilo watt wind generator in the chemical analysis room in a utility shop.

"This generator supplies supplementary power to the analysis room," said Senior Airman Cody Bryce, 22nd CES power pro technician. "There they filter and test all of the base levels to ensure the levels are correct."

The project started in October of 2011. It took the six person team approximately five months to order parts and put together the generator.

"Since the generator was put in we have reduced our carbon emission," said Tech. Sgt. Nial Khodra, 22nd CES electrical power production NCO in charge.

During the recent Installation Excellence Selection Board visit, green initiatives made on base were showcased.

An example of McConnell's initiatives can be found in the addition of the boom operator weapons system trainer. The trainer helped cut fuel costs by more than $6000 an hour, by replacing traditional KC-135 Stratotanker sorties which average almost $49,000 for an eight hour mission.

Also, a fuel-savings plan was developed here at McConnell and earned recognition from the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program. This plan will potentially save the AMC more than $470 thousand annually.

Another McConnell specific initiative is the use of a charcoal oil water separator.

"Once fuel arrives on base, if there is water in it it, is filtered out using the charcoal oil water separator and then the water going back out into the environment," said Maj. Douglas Templeton, 22nd Logistic Readiness Squadron operations officer.

With the use of this system, 80 thousand gallons of water that would normally have to go to waste management, is filtered, reclaimed and reutilized.

McConnell has several plans to continue on with the Air Force's environmental campaigns including a second generator to be built in fiscal year 2013 and the addition of more flex fuel vehicles.