The 78^th Air Base Wing and the 461st Air Control Wing teamed with four wings across the Air Force to receive a large donation of hand sanitizer May 29.

Through a collaborative effort led by the 461^st ACW Innovation SPARK hub at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and working within the AFWERX network and with the Department of Defense COVID-19 Task Force, Lt. Col. Jay Vizcarra, 461^st ACW Innovations and SPARK chief, began to coordinate the distribution of 10,000 gallons of sanitizer. 

“I immediately called several innovation SPARK cells, who we are working with on COVID-19 solutions, and inquired who had a requirement for sanitizer,” Vizcarra said, “Within a couple of days we were able to arrange seven bases with dedicated amounts of sanitizer.”

Sheppard AFB, Texas, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Minot AFB, North Dakota, Patrick AFB, Florida, and Moody and Robins AFB in Georgia will receive a share of the hand sanitizer donation.

As Team Robins members are returning to the installation, this will bolster the supplies needed for the Robins workforce of 24,000 personnel.

“Working with our Moody and McGuire counterparts, a C-130 aircraft landed with our 2,500 gallon donation,” Vizcarra said.

The 78^th Logistics Readiness Squadron off loaded the 2,500 gallons and will have approximately 18,000 pounds of sanitizer to store and distribute, impacting 54 mission partners.

“The 78th LRS played a key role in safe-guarding Robins AFB personnel amidst the pandemic by downloading, transporting, storing, and distributing 2,500 gallons of donated hand sanitizer,” Lt. Col. Kelie Thomas, 78th LRS commander, said. “As with any operation, logistics remains vital to ensuring safe and efficient mission operations and our logisticians are some of the best in the business.”

78^th ABW organizations, the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex and Team Robins mission partners will be able to use the donation to ensure the safe return to full capacity for all their employees.

“I was really excited because we get to be a part of helping to pave the way for the entire installation to be ready to support the warfighter,” said Thomas. “It is really cool it falls in the logistic lanes because each of my team of experts get to play a role in supporting that.”