Did you know that the military will pay for your great idea?  It doesn’t happen often, yet,  someone with a great idea can get paid for it.  Tech. Sgt. Joshua Lopez  just earned $10,000 for an accident that turned into a revelation.

Lopez was testing a F-22 Raptor configurable rail launcher when he heard a crunch.  The 90^th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons expediter had accidentally damaged part of the mount on the AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missile he was testing.  But, he confirmed, he had followed the technical order data perfectly.  When he checked again, he still showed that he had followed the testing procedures to the letter.

He then determined that the procedures as listed could expose the launcher detent assembly to damage.  When he brought the potential flaw to the attention of another technical sergeant to see if the issue was widespread, he found out that it was.  He could have told his Airmen to do a workaround that went against the procedures as outlined, but thought that changing the procedures would ensure that the issue was corrected by everyone.

He submitted the changes through the official change request procedure as part of the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) process with the help of Lisandra Ortiz, the 673rd Air Base Wing IDEA coordinator .

His suggestion that the TOD steps be reorganized to protect the $13,980 detent assemblies during testing. The change was approved by through Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center, at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

To receive payment for your good IDEA, the concept must be submitted through the IDEA weblink.

Within six months after submitting his IDEA, Less than six months after submitting his initial Lopez had a $10,000 check in his hand.