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WOLFWERX: The hunt for innovative Airmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Akeem K. Campbell
  • 8th Fighter Wing/Public Affairs


KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- “No one knew who we were when we had Operation ‘Be On the Look Out’ for a name,” said Capt. Logan Arnt, 8th Security Forces Squadron section commander and WOLFWERX chief innovation officer. “Even at Kunsan, people didn’t know we existed, so we decided to change it up a bit so that people will recognize who we are.”

In mid-July, BOLO was the original name for the 8th Fighter Wing’s primary spark cell. With a desire to be more distinguishable from the well-known operation, the members of BOLO renamed their organization.

“To get away from the BOLO name and from what people understand BOLO to be, we named ourselves similar to how AFWERX is named, which led to the name WOLFWERX,” Arnt said.

WOLFWERX helps create a culture of innovation and bolsters innovative ideas from Airmen.

“When you think of innovation, it’s creative freethinking,” said Master Sgt. Jonathan Stewart, 8th SFS flight chief and WOLFWERX chief operating officer. “There are no bad ideas; be as creative as possible and let it flow. We want ideas that will affect or contribute to the mission in the most effective way, such as providing quality-of-life solutions. It doesn’t have to be the most groundbreaking, technologically advanced item, just come over and take a shot with your ideas.”

Communicating ideas isn’t limited to just one on one meetings with the WOLFWERX team. The members of WOLFWERX can source innovative solutions by other means.

“There are platforms like VISION, a website where Airmen from all over the Air Force can network with other spark cells and list their innovations,” Stewart said. “We can go on that website and see if an idea that worked for one installation might work on ours.”

If an Airman has an idea they want to share but don’t know how to get it in motion, WOLFWERX can work with that Airman and have them connected to the right resources to help them reach their goal.

“You don’t have to be a subject matter expert on the innovation in which you are trying to execute,” Stewart said. “We ask that you bring your idea to our team so we can provide you with those SME’s that can navigate you in the right direction and use our resources to help bring that innovative idea to reality.”

The WOLFWERX team wants to hear ideas from all Airman, regardless of rank.

“Anybody can come to us with ideas, and it is not limited to just Airmen,” Stewart said. “For Airmen, because of rank, they can often be hesitant especially when they present an idea to someone in the upper echelon like a colonel. In the innovation environment, we like to take that rank out of the equation so everyone can feel more at ease when presenting their ideas.”

The WOLFWERX team has monthly and weekly meeting sessions. The monthly session is called the Squadron Spark Representative Meeting and the weekly session is called the Executive Council Meeting.

The WOLFWORX Team routinely hosts a number of meeting sessions; once a month they hold a Squadron Spark Representative Meeting and weekly, the Executive Council Meeting.

“With our weekly Executive Council Meeting, we discuss internal business items that help make the WOLFWERX program successful,” Stewart said. “As for the monthly Squadron Spark Representative Meeting, they break down any barriers a specific organization might have internally and engage on any new ideas the team can help execute.”

There is a WOLFWERX representative for almost every squadron on base and Airmen can speak with them to relay an idea to WOLFWERX and try to get their project initiated.

If you have an idea and think it will benefit the base or the Air Force, reach out and apply via email to 8fw.operation.bolo@us.af.mil or submit your idea to the VISION website at mobilizeyourtech.com.

“Let us hear you and we will do everything in our power to help take that idea and bring it to reality,” Stewart said. “As the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Brown stated, ‘Accelerate change or Lose’. We must move with a purpose and continue to innovate because losing isn’t an option.”