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Drive innovative solutions: 731 AMS improve baggage bin process

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Owsianka
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --    
This is the seventh in a series of articles relating to an overview of the 51st Fighter Wing priorities at Osan Air Base. The major role Team Osan plays in the Republic of Korea and the extent of its mission will be showcased this week in the way Team Osan "drives innovative solutions." Next week will conclude this series with a wrap-up article and a video reiterating the importance of the wing's priorities.

While handling 1,600 bags per week may seem like a daunting task, Airmen at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, have introduced a new process that reduces manpower and is safer than the old method.

The 731st Aircraft Mobility Squadron has recently improved their baggage bin handling process to load and unload travelers belonging on and off the aircraft. This innovative solution has helped the squadron by improving production time and freeing Airmen to perform other tasks.

The new process also requires less equipment and has changed the way the baggage bin is carried on the long side to carrying it lengthwise. Airmen from the 731st AMS  who created the new process are Master Sgt. Ricky Govin, Staff Sgt. Glenn Maloney, Senior Airman Justin Mercer and Senior Airman Jesly Galang.

"The new process is efficient and showcases the innovation that our outstanding Airmen have," said Master Sgt. Ricky Govin, 731st AMS air freight superintendent. "The process helps us to utilize the manpower that might have been required at the aircraft and allows the Airmen to perform other missions to make us more efficient at a unit."

Baggage download and upload times have decreased since the implementation of the new process. This enables the squadron to become more efficient while utilizing their manpower, which might have been required at the aircraft, to perform another mission.

"The primary advantage of the new process mitigated the safety risks of damaging the baggage bins during handling in the old process," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Bersabe, 731st AMS passenger services operations NCO in charge. "The old process strained the bin while the forklift carried the cage which could have led to the bin breaking. Other benefits were the decrease of personnel, from seven to five, needed to operate and reduction in operating time down by seven minutes per bin."

The process of unloading the baggage bins is to set up the aircraft unloader, unload the baggage bins, use the forklift to transport the bin and deliver the bin to the pax terminal.

"The old operations were not feasible, and the risk management associated with it was higher," Govin said. "The new process not only saves manpower, but it does it safer, by the book and ensures the bins are handled efficiently."

The passenger service operators consistently evaluate their processes to ensure service members can arrive and depart in a timely manner.

"Everyone is part of the team here at Osan, and if we can get passengers (Airmen) their baggage sooner, it ensures that we are ready to carry out the mission," said Govin.