Resourcefulness pays off for 368th Recruiting Squadron Published March 8, 2013 By Master Sgt. Andy Stephens HQ AFRS Public Affairs HILL AFB, Utah -- Benjamin Franklin's adage of how a penny saved is a penny earned was achieved in practice within Air Force Recruiting Service. Two Air Force recruiters found the means to shave approximately 75 percent from monthly travel costs incurred in shuttling applicants between Las Vegas and the regional Military Entrance Processing Station in Salt Lake City. The costs - previously running at approximately $15,000 per month - were reduced to $4,150 through skillful negotiation without any loss of quality service. The projected annual savings of more than $130,000 represents a substantial savings in a time of austere economic outlooks, but also meets the expectations of applicants' families, many of whom pay close attention to how their loved ones are treated by Air Force recruiters. "The 368th Recruiting Squadron covers more than 470,000 square miles of the United States - that's an area as big as California and Texas combined," said Master Sgt. Steven Richardson, 368th RCS recruiter. "The distance these applicants have to travel is huge, so it falls to the 368th RCS to provide for quality travel." Richardson explained that the 368th RCS previously had a contract with a shuttle service that covered their area of responsibility -- Montana, Idaho, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, western Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The problem was that the initial costs projected by the company were cost-prohibitive. The 368th RCS experimented with using a mainstream bus service to reduce costs, but the squadron received negative feedback from the families of Air Force applicants, owing to the longer travel times and reduced comfort. Richardson and a second 368th RCS recruiter, Tech. Sgt. Gerard Fletcher, explored several options available to improve travel and still meet the MEPS schedule. After careful research, the two Airmen as a team pursued the idea of obtaining a fixed rate for the dedicated ground-based shuttle service. Lt. Col. Steven J. Storch, 368th RCS commander, praised the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Richardson and Fletcher for not just imagining a solution, but for having the determination to stick with their idea and bring it to fruition in a very short time. He said the product of their hard work will make a difference not just for the Air Force, but the families of future applicants. "This idea saves us about $85,000 in applicant travel expenditures over the rest of this fiscal year. Not only is it cheaper than the bus, but we're giving applicants door-to-door service from their recruiter's office in Las Vegas to the Military Entrance Processing Station in Salt Lake City." Storch said. "Their families know that we are dedicated to the care of our Airmen and that the Air Force looks out for their loved ones, always looking for new ideas to improve their quality of life."