AFSO21 analysis designed to make Incirlik better, smarter, faster

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason Burton
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century is an Air Force initiative designed to solve problems, eliminate waste and determine better ways to achieve the mission. 

Incirlik has already implemented several AFSO21 initiatives and the next major step will take place in January when a U.S. Air Forces in Europe consultant is scheduled to meet with Incirlik's leaders to perform an Enterprise Value Stream Analysis. 

This will be the first time wing leadership and USAFE team up to perform this analysis at Incirlik. 

"We are going to examine all areas of Incirlik's mission and find where we can improve," said Capt. Sharon Gregory, 39th Air Base Wing AFSO21 manager. "This process will also give us a road map showing where we will be heading as a wing." 

Subject matter experts will take each process selected, break it down and streamline it, Captain Gregory said. 

Even though the Enterprise Value Stream Analysis is a much broader base-wide analysis of the overall mission, there are other current AFSO21 projects on the drawing board here. 

For example, the 39th Mission Support Group is researching the potential effectiveness of Geographically Separated Unit support teams that would travel to each location in Turkey supported by the wing. 

Also, teams will examine flightline processing, which includes everything that happens from the time a plane arrives at Incirilk until it departs, for ways to increase efficiency. 

"There are definitely some things with that process that we can do more efficiently," Captain Gregory said. 

Another AFSO21 initiative currently being executed deals with the 425th Air Base Group in Izmir, Turkey. Options include Incirlik taking over certain 425th ABG duties in order to reduce the footprint of the group. 

Lt. Col. Kellie Davila-Martinez, 425th ABG deputy commander, said there are several AFSO21 options the group is currently examining. 

"You don't want to grab a process and blindly hack away at it, though if reorganizing a process can provide the same level of service at a reduced cost then it is a win for everyone," she added.