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Show 10 Hilltop Times April 20, 1995 FUND RAISER: SPECIAL OLYMPICS Kad solves by TSgt. Jesse Air Force News AB tea AIM-- 9 Hall Service - A Kade-n- a HICKAM AFB, Hawaii AB, Japan, process action team successfully tackled a recurring AIM-problem and catapulted itself into contention for a national quality improvement award. The team representing the 18th is one of three at Kadena Wing finalists for the 1995 Rochester Institute of TechnologyUSA Today Quality Cup, government category. The cup is awarded annually to teams or individuals who make significant con9 enemy track and prevented the missile from firing. According to munitions specialist SSgt. Gary Sneller, the wing has no systematic approach to the problem because eight different organizations the worked on the suspect part GCU. The organizations pulled together and in January 1993 set out to attack the issue using Quality Air Force prinPAT was charciples. An tered, consisting of weapons loaders, 24-inc- G0rCELT3 (E&D Call 3LTD9 For Details 576-393- 6 Ross Randall Johnson Wesley Glenn GUARD MEMBERS, THEIR OPEN TO ALL NATIONAL . ,r--r r a it. FAMILIES AND CJ I n K I in William Randall Turner nnrr irrnrrrrr t . h f" CHE) 18-pers- munitions maintainers, armament technicians and pilots. flow Its objectives were simple chart the process, determine causes, and develop, test and implement solutions. The team also had to carefully consider customer requirements, stakeholders' input and cost factors. During the Special a i i'l j i ilHllMTJ,l,, Olympics We need drawing prizes, equipment, donations, support. r I Please call and the Air Force. straight, but Thank you!! DON'T MISS most weapons technicians three Kade- Guard aren't tall enough to na rAl members pro- properly install the botvided the judges with an tles. The solution was overview of the AIM-SMSgt Tommie simple: Loaders began initiative. Limbrick using ladders to install "In combat, bottles and inspect not being able to employ probes for damage. As a result of the PAT, the 18th weapons could mean the difference between life and death. To keep this from Wing has lowered its AIM-- failure happening, we used quality principles rate to less than 15 percent per month. to improve the reliability of our That translates into 67 fewer fails, a AIM-9s,- " said Capt. Kelly Fletcher, an projected savings of 3,230 woikhours and more than $160,000 per year. pilot from the 18th Wing. Kadena found repeated failures of "The ultimate result is it will imAIM-missiles during training mis- prove AIM-- reliability throughout sions. Pilots were experiencing an Pacific Air Forces and the Air Force," average of 102 missile malfunctions said SMSgt. Tommie Limbrick, who headed the Kadena PAT. periper month during a three-mont- h od in 1992. The end result offers multiple A cooling problem in the missile's benefits for all involved. "As fewer guidance control unit appeared to be missiles fail, pilot training becomes the principle cause. Without sufficient more effective and the confidence levcooling gas from an attached argon el in a wing's ability to produce is increased." Fletcher said. bottle, the GCU couldn't maintain an to help 576-393- 6 process, they discovered GCU coolthe AIM-9'- s ing problem accounted for 74 percent of all failures. The team discovered missile loaders were installing argon bottles at an angle, resulting in damage to the GCU probe and causing cooling problems. The bottles must be installed 66 and a Hawaii Air National mm glitch tributions to their employers' quality improvement program. "We're looking for very good examples ... inspirational ... where a small team makes a differ- ence, said ur. Stanley Widrick, an RIT business professor. Widrick and John Hillkirk, an editor with The ultimate USA Today, evaluated Kadena's team March result is it will 17 at Hickam. They AIM-- 9 looked at three primary improve areas the improvereliability ment process, results, and handling and analy- throughout sis of data and statistics. Pacific Air Armed with a slide Forces presentation 115TTMTCE. CO., UTAH ARMY NATIONAL GUARD F-1- 5, 99 : 9 '"wwn'uimmmiHumuumtnuiuiuniHtu THE SAVINGS air-to-a- ir The Salvation Army's New 9 F-1- SUNSET THRIFT STORE 5 9 325 West 1 300 North - Sunset 9 Saturday April 22nd BS" am . 4 pni Sidewalk Sale 3r Door Prizes Balloons for the children it Entertainment and Great Savings! air-pow- er I BRING IN THIS AD DURING THE , GRAND OPENING AND RECEIVE A I FREE GIFT. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY 1 Take a flight into the past nm Aerosp ace Museum a. m Take Roy exit 341 off Ext. 7 "W ran all tha tuts you rquastod, sarga. Wa tnaasurad tha Interior and artartor tamparaturaa, haattng Oma and expansion rata. Your HOT DOG la raadyf 15 ScJ a i A M I I , |