RAF LAKENHEATH, England – Senior Airman Devon Word introduced an innovative solution that could save the 48th Fighter Wing and U.S. Air Force over 750 man-hours annually.
As a 48th Munitions Squadron conventional crew chief, Word identified a persistent problem with 20 mm ammunition replenisher tables frequently jamming and requiring constant troubleshooting and repairs.
The manual intervention necessary to resolve ammunition jamming may cause injury to the operator, so Word’s ingenuity addresses a recurring issue with a critical piece of equipment, significantly improving the safety and efficiency of operations.
“It was frustrating to see the team losing time and resources to repeatedly fix the same problem,” said Word. “I knew there had to be a better way.”
Word collaborated with Staff Sgt. Bethany Levi, Air Force Repair Enhancement Program noncommissioned officer in charge for the 48th Maintenance Group. They partnered to conceptualize and design a simple yet highly effective insert for the machine.