(Montgomery, Ala.) – MGMWERX is hosting representatives from 52nd Fighter Wing located at Spangdahlem Air Base at a design sprint to streamline current weapons-loading checklists. The sprint is taking place at MGMWERX and prototype testing will be conducted at 187th FW-Dannelly Field, Montgomery. Also, in attendance and participating in the sprint will be members from the 187th Fighter Wing Alabama Air National Guard, the Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN) team, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base members.
“My hope is to provide our Weapons Team Chiefs with a simplified and streamlined interactive checklist that results in faster, safer, and more reliable weapons loading,” explained Gabriel L. Flagg, CMSgt, USAF, Wing Weapons Manager, 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany. “Our current weapons loading checklists are overly cumbersome and complex. As a result, Team Chiefs are forced to dedicate an abundance of time and attention to solving the checklist puzzle rather than managing their load site.”
Between December 2018 and May 2019, overly complex checklists led to 25 percent of failed loading evaluations in the 52d MXG at Spangdahlem AB, Germany. These issues triggered 216 man-hours of retraining time that could have been used to certify more loaders if the process was better designed and streamlined. Team Chiefs are spending approximately 37 percent of their loading time navigating the checklist.
CMSgt Flagg went on to explain, “With the help of MGMWERX, airmen can truly drive innovation, and cost-effectively modernize to restore readiness – these are no longer just buzz words. This team is now on the verge of revolutionizing the weapons-loading process across the enterprise.”
The design sprint facilitates the creation of an automated checklist system expected to accelerate the identification of the proper checklist sequence, depending upon the aircraft and weapons configurations. Therefore, the newly designed procedure will assist in the filtering and sorting of the checklists. Team Chiefs will only see the needed steps for the current loading task saving them from searching through over 800 steps.
MGMWERX was originally approached by CMSgt Flagg to assist in the project after his attendance at the Chief Leadership Course at the Barnes Center. At that Course, he saw how MGMWERX brought together the best of the private sector with the military to create top-notch solutions.
“MGMWERX has provided our team with the opportunity to turn an idea into reality,” stated CMSgt Flagg. “I’ve been in the Air Force for almost 24 years, and we’ve never witnessed the ability to turn a great idea into a working prototype in only 6 months. MGMWERX has provided that capability!”
MGMWERX was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement to align with the education initiatives of Air University. MGMWERX augments ongoing Air University programs, through events like Pitch Night, to enhance production of high-quality, innovative research and ideas that span issues of importance to the Air Force. This includes, but is not limited to, doctrine, strategies, capability needs, operational concepts, training, education, and science and technology.