910th energizes wing for brighter future Published Oct. 31, 2012 By Maj. Brent J. Davis 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- With October being Energy Action Month throughout the Air Force, members of the 910TH Airlift Wing continue their effort to promote ways everyone can pitch in to save energy. Energy awareness posters are displayed throughout YARS to remind personnel that saving energy is of major importance not only to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the Department of Defense but to the U.S. Government as a whole. According to Everett Wilson, 910th Airlift Wing Energy Manager, instilling the "green" mindset during technical training is a common sense place to start. A new addition to each building manager's handbook is underway to emphasize energy conservation methods that are practical for everyday use. "It's hoped that these methods will find their way into base employees' personal lives as well as help them to save money at home," Wilson added. "Culture change is a key component in the overall effort to raise awareness and meet energy goals," said Col. Teresa Hams, commander of the 910th Mission Support Group. "If we continue to take action, we can make a major difference in saving energy and taxpayer dollars. I'm very proud to say that Youngstown has been at the forefront of this effort long before it became a mandate," she added. Energy Action Month being recognized in October is also important as it's the beginning of a new fiscal year. The 910th's energy expense and cost savings is a major concern that is a continuous priority added Wilson. "We've installed a base-wide energy management system in all our inhabited buildings for greater control of utility costs," said Bob Woods, 910th Base Civil Engineer. We've also replaced inefficient lighting with highly efficient illumination on our flight line that provides better security conditions while simultaneously reducing the amount of energy used, he added. The 910th was the first installation to completely re-lamp all buildings with state-of-the-art fluorescent lighting technology improving work space illumination while improving energy consumption. "Our projects are only going to be as successful as the energy we put forth," said Wilson. "Our entire energy management team is first rate and totally embraces this initiative needed to make our buildings energy efficient," he concluded. The 910th Airlift Wing has seen an increase in energy projects over the past few years as a result of a constant effort to identify economically feasible projects and have the projects ready to go when funding becomes available to improve the base infrastructure. For more information about Air Force energy conservation, visit www.af.mil/energyinitiatives/index.asp.