More than six months after completing a rotation as part of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 29's Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Site Core Team at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Staff Sgt. Gregory Rogers can still be found in the command's AIRSpeed classroom teaching Marines how to apply the Theory of Constraints and Lean Six Sigma.

Rogers, MALS-29 legal chief, said the satisfaction of seeing the Marines learn about CPI methodology and how to apply it to problems in their work spaces is what drives him to teach. The time spent teaching yellow and green belt classes is above and beyond his duties in the legal division.

"My goal when I started as part of the CPI Site Core Team was to give the best quality training I could," he said, "so that students understood how CPI can benefit them no matter what job they perform. My presence in the classroom continues that personal commitment.

"I am there because I chose to do so," he said. "Our Marines are eager to learn."

In addition to leading and supporting more than 35 CPI events, Rogers, an avionics, deceptive electronic countermeasures and communications/navigation systems technician and a green belt, instructed almost 1,200 Marines during his two-year assignment with the site core team.

This personal initiative, said 1st Lt. Brian Park, MALS-29 CPI officer in charge, is a major factor in the promulgation of CPI across all Marine Corps Installation East, including U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command; II Marine Expeditionary Force; Headquarters, and Headquarters Squadron; Marine Landing Group; and Public Works and Marine Wing Support Squadron 272.

MALS-29 noted his exemplary efforts, Park said, and selected him to receive the Naval Aviation Enterprise Site Visit Excellence Award. U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation (DCA) Lt. Gen. Jon Davis presented the award to Rogers during Boots on the Ground at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, Sept. 16.

The award cited Rogers' work on the Communication/Navigation Branch and Radar/Electronic Countermeasures Branch Shop Consolidation Rapid Improvement Event (RIE). The consolidation, said Rogers, presented the Avionics Division with multiple problems, which resulted in an excess of Individual Material Readiness List (IMRL) gear and more than six months of cross training for the Marines who worked in the shops. The shops were located in Mobile Maintenance Facilities (colloquially called vans by the Marines) and needed to be redesigned to ensure a safe and organized process flow of personnel and assets during daily repair procedures.

"We had to find a solution that worked for both spaces and integrate them into one large work center that functioned smoothly and seamlessly," Rogers said.

The team rearranged the work center, which included separating work areas from IMRL storage areas. Higher-demand items were placed closer to the front of the work center and systems that share common test equipment were placed closer together. The customer drop-off/pick-up point for equipment was relocated to just inside the front entrance. All production was shifted to the front of the shop and supporting vans and storage areas were moved to the rear of the work center.

As a result, IMRL was reduced from a combined total of 234 items to 134 items. A depot-level artisan technical representative is now co-located within the work center, increasing the level of support to the flight line.

Reducing the number of days it took for Marines to earn ground support equipment (GSE) licenses also gained the attention of MALS leadership. By removing the requirement for work center and division officer signatures in the Advanced Skills Management's routing process (the training management system for aircraft maintenance) and adding a step that notifies the GSE Training and Licensing office when a Marine completes certification, the time to award licenses was reduced from an average of 96 days to 30 days.

Rogers said one of his favorite events was a just-do-it project in response to a squadron complaint about the time it took to issue hydraulic lines. The problem, he said, was brought to the fore by the MALS' assessment of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463 and HMH-366 Marines.

"We had the fittings on hand, but we didn't have the lines ready-made because they had to be stored in an open air warehouse and were at risk for damage before they got to the squadron," Rogers said. "So we took a board, made the needed hydraulic lines, silhouetted them on the board and hung the board on a wall. Now when the O-level (organizational-level) needs a line, production control can fill the request on the spot. The empty area is a signal to create a [maintenance action form] and for the hydraulic work center to manufacture a new one to take its place. Then, consumable replacement fittings are ordered by hydraulics in preparation for the next time it's required.

"The board serves as a buffer," he said. "It's something so simple that can keep a squadron in the air instead of O-level maintainers waiting for a part to be produced."

Working with the O-level, said Rogers, provided the team with valuable takeaways.

"We at the MALS rarely get to pick their brain and see where their headaches are," he said. "There are so many little things that either get overlooked or are lost between the MALS and the flying squadrons that can make a huge difference in personal attitudes and time spent waiting. I try to stress the importance of these small details with the project team and the Marines I teach," he said.

Rogers said he also tries to convey to the Marines that they should be detail oriented, inquisitive and an example to others.

"As maintenance becomes more automated, there is a tendency to find it easier to replace an entire end item at great expense," he said. "I encourage them to ask why something failed and seek a solution. With a little troubleshooting, we can conduct repairs at a fraction of the cost."

This behavior, he said, will pay dividends. "If you are a thorough leader, your troops will be thorough when leadership is not around," he said. "Our troops learn by the examples they are given."