As their fellow service members at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., continue to execute Air Mobility Command's mission during the COVID-19 pandemic, an innovation team is working to minimize the health risks they face.
The team, dubbed Palmetto Spark, is composed of airmen from across Joint Base Charleston, and their mission is to enable airmen to solve problems they face day to day.
The team's current focus is on manufacturing face shields and hand sanitizer so Defense Department service members and civilians can accomplish their mission with a layer of protection.
"I think it's a good example of the things we can do in empowering airmen," Air Force Capt. Christian Brechbuhl, 16th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot and Joint Base Charleston's director of innovation, said. "Being able to produce on short notice with guidance from the [Food and Drug Administration] and our medical group isn't something we normally have the ability to do, but we have a group of really motivated folks that work hard to make it a reality at the local level."
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Austin Barkdoll, 373rd Training Squadron, Detachment 5 instructor and Palmetto Spark member, is one airman working to produce hand sanitizer.
"We figured out — with some research, looking at the World Health Organization and other agencies out there — there was a more cost-effective and timely way for us to supply more DOD personnel with hand-sanitizing solution if we did it ourselves," Barkdoll said. "Most importantly, by making our own, we are able to do our part to keep commercially produced hand-sanitizer available for our local medical community."
We're here to enable the airmen of Joint Base Charleston. For the commanders, we're here to help your airmen solve your problems. We're here for this base."
Air Force Capt. Christian Brechbuhl, 16th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot and Joint Base Charleston's director of innovation
Barkdoll said the team seeks simple solutions in tackling these projects, and that producing hand sanitizer is a fairly easy process as long as the producer measures ingredients precisely in a sterile environment.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Devan Trammel, 628th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight team leader and Palmetto Spark member, helps to create face shields in support of the mission.
"We're working a 3D printing project where we're prototyping clips for masks and different face shields for medical members and other career fields, so our members who have to work and are essential are able to do so," he said. "Those face shields are going to extend the life of N95 masks, which are currently the ones so tough to find." Trammel said the team is hoping to make enough face shields and hand sanitizer in their initial production to support 1,000 personnel.
As the Palmetto Spark team continues supporting the joint team at Charleston, Brechbuhl said he hopes the team's capabilities will be used for future endeavors once the pandemic has passed.
"We can be a one-stop-shop for an airman to come in and prototype a solution, whether it be a process improvement or product, and help them get to 'yes,'" Brechbuhl said. "We're here to enable the airmen of Joint Base Charleston. For the commanders, we're here to help your airmen solve your problems. We're here for this base."
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Lubenthal is assigned to Joint Base Charleston.)