People provide the vision Published May 21, 2014 By Capt. Joshua Carmer 5th Space Launch Squadron PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- (Editor's Note: This commentary is May's submission and is part of a monthly series from Innovate Now! Team) Ideas for innovation come from your wisdom, experience, and creativity...you fit into the future vision by creating it. Never before has leadership been so open to your innovative solutions. Many recommendations submitted to the "Innovate Now!" link on the 45th Space Wing SharePoint page are already on their way to becoming reality. All submissions are reviewed by the innovation team and assigned a champion with the appropriate expertise. Some of the projects that have moved forward into the implementation phase are: traffic flow improvements, individual mobilization augmentee (IMA) readiness checklist, monthly lighting test elimination based on reliability study, and unit exchange personnel shadowing that will deliberately develop people. Others currently under review or in coordination include: weather balloon reduction based on alternate data sources, management internal control toolset (MICT) consolidations, improved safety shelter markings, gate traffic flow improvements, exceptional family member program (EFMP) processing, additional drug testing location, additional duty streamlining, and range telemetry system upgrades. The Wing, and the Air Force as a whole, has embraced innovation to face challenges to accomplishing the mission from ever tightening budgets. Paul Lewis, of the 45th Space Wing Safety office, submitted an innovation to prevent the burden of extra work that simply didn't make sense in our launch business. That unnecessary work would have cost the wing hundreds of thousands of dollars and many man hours that now can be focused on mission success. His recommendation now has been approved all the way up to the Air Force Safety Center, where they are considering removing the requirement Air Force wide. You work your job every day, know it best, and, with your innovations, can shape the vision of continued and future launch success.