338th RCS serious about cost-conscious culture Published Aug. 12, 2014 By Capt. Stefan Wladyka and Annette Crawford Air Force Recruiting Service Command Action Group and Public Affairs Officer JBSA-RANDOLPH, Texas -- If you ever thought that government waste was a big problem but you didn't know where to begin, the answer is within you. Cutting waste is everyone's responsibility and it can be done in things we do every day at work. The 338th Recruiting Squadron recently demonstrated that belief through several actions. Not only did their H-Flight receive the Air Force Recruiting Service Cost Conscious Culture Team Award for April through June 2014, they were also recognized for having the least expensive annual commander's call among the 27 squadrons. "H-Flight and the 338th has taken the direction of the Secretary of the Air Force and the vice chief of staff, who challenged all Airmen to create an atmosphere of cost-saving initiatives to save money, time and effort based on budget constraints and doing our job smartly," said Lt. Col. Timothy Maxwell, 338th RCS commander. "We made every dollar count by creating an environment that used less paper, copier and fax toner with our paperless initiative," Maxwell continued. "We developed a digital file plan that can hold large amounts of information and provides an avenue to share information without printing documents." Maxwell said the squadron also developed a digital user tool that provided training for flight chiefs and recruiters, reducing headquarters training personnel TDY costs within the squadron's 11,000 square mile area of responsibility. "For our team, C3 is not just a command objective but a way of doing business; we constantly seek efficient processes to effectively manage routine administration and daily activities," said Master Sgt. John Bowerman, 338th RCS H-Flight chief. "We are honored to be recognized, and it demonstrates that Airmen at all levels have shown a vested interest in adapting our limited resources to meet our challenging mission needs with limited resources," Bowerman added. The award recognized the squadron and H-Flight for creating an electronic tracking system that outlined data for more than 440 contacts, increasing their pool for new Airmen. They also created an online sharing process that tracked all flight supplies, allowing the flight to share supplies and reduce costs. In regards to the annual commander's call, Master Sgt. Anthony Pandina and Master Sgt. Ernest Castillo actively controlled costs, arriving at a $18,120 bottom line - a 53 percent reduction from the last comparable commander's call in 2011. Pandina said he and Castillo carefully selected a location at which the fewest personnel needed to go on temporary duty. They also built relationships with local businesses to find the best deals. "We want to provide a cost-effective way to provide training to help our recruiters learn and improve," Pandina said, as well as give them the recognition they deserve for the past year's accomplishments. "Networking and crossfeed are so vital to the success of our organization and it's a big challenge to accomplish that with cost savings," Pandina said. "On behalf of H-flight and the 338th, we are extremely proud and honored to do our part on being a cost conscious culture, saving money while meeting and exceeding our overall mission," Maxwell said. To recognize someone for their cost-conscious efforts, email suggestions to stefan.wladyka.1@us.af.mil.