AMC SAFETY OFFICE OF THE YEAR and AMC RISK MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

22 ARW SAFETY OFFICE, MCCONNELL AFB, KS

THE 22d AIR REFUELING WING SAFETY OFFICE (22 ARW), McConnell Air Force Base (AFB), KS, led by Lt Col Rey Heron, has been announced as the winner of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) Risk Management Achievement Award and the AMC Safety Office of the Year.

In earning both, 22 ARW accomplished much in the name of safety. For example, the team secured two firsts for AMC in employing virtual technology to capture 22 confined space areas in the KC-46 aircraft and saving AMC an estimated $220,000 and 138 work hours. Their use of technology pioneered safety classifications for the $40 billion global fleet among three allied nations, ensuring global mission certification and bolstering the Commander’s number one priority. Secondly, 22 ARW cemented McConnell AFB as the first wing in AMC’s history to achieve the Air Force Safety Center’s (AFSEC) milestone for 100 percent safety training for wing motorcycle riders. Their use of creativity propelled Air Force-wide enhancements that resolved shortfalls in the Department of Defense’s motorcycle safety enterprise, garnering commendations from AFSEC and AMC Safety.

Additionally, 22 ARW led a cross-functional team with industry partners to analyze and correct a cargo loading procedure that caused $90,000 in damages in four KC-46 mishaps. The procedure accelerated 936 configuration changes, mitigating five critical hazards that clinched a 100 percent mission certification for the $40 billion global fleet. They also oversaw a $2 million mass no-notice weather evacuation in a six-hour time frame, providing safety oversight that mitigated hazards for 5,000 Airmen and global operations. The team’s quick actions ensured 100 percent on-time departures for 22 aircraft and six disabled aircraft were hangered, securing $5.7 billion combat assets with zero mishaps.