ARLINGTON, Va. - U.S. Army Garrison Alaska was recognized Oct. 10 for a recycling program that safely and efficiently disposed used brass and turned it into revenue for Soldier and Family programs.
Secretary of the Army Pete Geren recognized Carol Ann Martin and USAG Alaska with an outstanding project team award during the Lean Six Sigma Excellence Awards Recognition Ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. Martin is a program manager for the USAG Alaska Directorate of Public Works.
Lean Six Sigma is a business improvement process that increases shareholder value by achieving the fastest rate of improvement in customer satisfaction, cost, quality, process speed and invested capital.
Martin's award-winning project focused on the processing and disposal of spent range brass from live-fire training and range exercises at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The team improved both processes and generated revenue by cooking off live characteristics left in the brass. The purified brass now is sold under a Qualified Recycling Program to generate funds for the garrison. Before the project, brass was sorted manually and Army regulations prohibited selling it.
A Qualified Recycling Program requires organizations identify, segregate and maintain the integrity of recyclable materials to maintain or enhance marketability.
Team member Mark Renner credited the improved process to Lean Six Sigma. He said that by demonstrating the benefits the improved process would create, the team was able to garner leadership support for the resources needed to succeed.
"We would have never received the SCU (Safety Certification Unit) without LSS," Renner said.
The project had many successes and Martin said it was instrumental in being able to push LSS forward in the garrison and the Pacific Region, as an added benefit.
"The project team was represented across the garrison at both Forts Richardson and Wainwright and included a great team of experts in their fields. The project gave LSS a boost in the garrison through great teamwork and by giving back to the garrison," Martin said.
Soldiers and their Families at USAG Alaska will benefit from the savings and revenue generated by the team's project. Money earned through the improved process is being split equally between Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and environmental issues at the garrison.
In addition to the project team award, Secretary Geren presented seven awards to Army-level winners from other commands and the Army staff for their progress in Lean Six Sigma. The Lean Six Sigma award categories included organizational awards and project team awards.
USAG Alaska Project Team
<ul><li>Carol Martin, project lead
<li>Mike Schmidt, project sponsor
<li>Barbara Ringland, AK RDDD
<li>Gary Casagranda, team member
<li>Phil Marshall, team member
<li>Paul Moore, team member
<li>Mark Renner, team member
<li>Tom Rentz, team member
<li>Lisa Santerre, team member
<li>Ron Shaw, team member
<li>Jeff Raun, team member
</ul>
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