366 TRS on C3: "Efficiency spares other resources" Published April 19, 2013 By Master Sgt. Stewart Herringshaw 366th Training Squadron SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Over the past year, the 366th Training Squadron has been on the forefront of the cost conscious culture, or C3, saving $864,000 by finding and implementing efficiencies in their everyday operations. The savings resulted from a space utilization study and a thorough look at mobile training courses. "I am proud of the efforts by our joint team in taking these challenges...our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and civilians not only talk about finding savings, but they take action and make it happen," said Lt. Col. Jay Beam, 366th TRS commander. "These ideas have come from a wide variety of areas ranging from our training development flight to our schoolhouses." With C3 in mind, the 366th TRS has worked tirelessly to streamline processes, reduce costs where possible, all while still providing world-class training to 7,000 Airmen annually. One of the most ambitious undertakings was the space utilization study. This was conducted to identify redundant space utilization and to consolidate by sharing resources. Through this study, the unit identified 91,000 sq. ft. for possible demolition, saving approximately $300,000 in energy and facility maintenance costs annually. Other cost-savings were realized through the regionalization of mobile training courses in the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) theaters. Additionally, a thorough scrub of our remaining training courses resulted in the discontinuation of other mobile training courses no longer needed by the career fields. This alone resulted in a cost avoidance of $464,000 annually in temporary duty funds. In looking to reduce trainer maintenance costs, the unit identified and turned in 537 equipment items, saving $100,000 annually in maintenance costs. While many of these costs may be transparent at the squadron level, they are not to the Air Force as a whole. These are tangible efficiencies that will allow other resources to be spared, rather than cut during these challenging fiscal times. The 366th TRS is definitely living up to its motto of "Lead the Way" when it comes to operating within a cost conscience culture.