EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The best ideas for the mission rarely come from the top down. They usually start on the ground, when those wanting to solve a problem look at a process and think, "There has to be a better way."
Enter the Emerald Spark Cell.
The program, located in the Eglin Community Library, serves as a creative workshop, and provides service members and civilian employees with the resources and backing to take an everyday idea and build it into a real-world solution.
Britney Reed, 96th Test Wing Plans and Programs Continuous Improvement and Innovation office process manager, said the cell’s primary goal is to help identify problems and connect with technical experts to get potential solutions off the ground.
"The people closest to the mission often understand its challenges better than anyone else," Reed said. "They see the wasted time, frustrating processes, equipment limitations and opportunities for improvement every day."
While the push for innovation is Air Force-wide, Eglin’s diverse operational environment makes the Emerald Spark Cell uniquely positioned to succeed. The base brings together testing, operations, maintenance, security forces, medical and civil engineering, surrounded by a network of industry, academia and mission partners.
Reed said this ecosystem allows the cell to connect individuals who might not normally cross paths, using their diverse perspectives to solve tough mission roadblocks.
To achieve this, she said the cell intentionally bridges the gap between high-tech innovation and foundational continuous process improvement. While some solutions require manufacturing an advanced prototype, others require standardizing a workflow or eliminating unnecessary steps.
Reed credits the CI2 team's success to their focus on understanding the root cause of a problem before prescribing a high-tech or low-tech approach.
That hands-on approach is already making a tangible impact for crews across the 96th TW.
Recently, the cell partnered with the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s petroleum, oils and lubricants team to develop a single-point nozzle adapter. The new tool slashed the time required for a mandatory fuel-sampling process from 60 minutes to just 15 minutes. The local fix has already generated interest from other installations, which illustrates how grassroots solutions can scale to impact the broader Air Force.
In another ongoing project, the cell is redesigning how aircrew flight equipment teams handle inspections. After Airmen realized how much time was spent repeatedly moving heavy gear between storage lockers and inspection areas, the Emerald Spark Cell hosted a design sprint. They developed a prototype for a mobile inspection cart while working directly with the team performing the job. The cart brings the inspection process directly to the flight line, and the team is refining the design based on user feedback.
Reed said the Emerald Spark Cell ultimately exists to validate the ideas of the workforce and accelerate change at the tactical edge.
"We want people at every level to know that their experience and ideas matter," Reed said. "They can help shape how the Air Force operates."
To learn more about the innovation process or to pitch an idea, visit the CI2 team at the Emerald Spark Cell, located inside the Eglin Library at 403 W. Hymes Road, Building 843.