Fiscal climate demands full-force responsibility Published June 26, 2014 By Deborah Lee James SAF WASHINGTON, D.C -- Airmen of the United States Air Force: Last year, in response to budget sequestration, we launched the Every Dollar Counts campaign. Since that launch, your innovative ideas and money-saving efficiency changes saved our Air Force hundreds of millions of dollars during these challenging fiscal times. From public-private partnerships at base level, to centralized engine repair Air Force wide, your ideas are saving precious resources all across the enterprise. To each Airman who took the time to send in an idea, influence change or create a new efficiency in your shop: thank you -- job well done! But we can't stop now...we must do more. Now is the time to leverage the success of last year's campaign and continue to cultivate a culture of innovation, efficiency, and savings. This letter is our call to action to Make Every Dollar Count. Our goal is to take as many of our efficiencies and savings initiatives as possible and multiply them across the entire spectrum of operations. From large scale initiatives, such as implementing cutting-edge energy practices or acquisition process improvements, to base-level actions, such as video teleconferencing and contract review, everything counts. Our current initiatives are just the beginning. We challenge each of you to develop initiatives in your own areas of expertise. If there was ever a time for out-of-the-box ideas, it's now. Each of us must be "all in, all the time" to make this work. There are two programs available to submit your great ideas to increase cost savings across our Air Force. You may submit ideas online to our Airmen Powered by Innovation website at https://ipds.afpc.randolph.af.mil, or by contacting your local Air Force Smart Operations for the Twenty-first Century Office. All ideas will be actively processed by the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force for Business Transformation. As you know, there are consequences of this fiscal climate we cannot change, but we must do our very best to improve the things we can and ensure we are good stewards of every taxpayer dollar. Let's all take ownership - each active duty, Reserve, Guard and civilian Airman - to improve what we can control and to Make Every Dollar Count. "Make Every Dollar Count: All In, All The Time."