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Earth Day 2012: 188th doing its part to help Air Force go green

  • Published
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  As millions of people around the world observe Earth Day April 22 this year, the United States Air Force is continuously challenging every member of the USAF family to do his or her part to conserve natural resources, minimize waste and prevent pollution.

"I challenge all Airmen to think about pollution prevention in new ways," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff. "We all need to understand that we can make a difference in managing waste so we can find cleaner, more cost effective ways of accomplishing our mission."

The Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing is doing its part to help the Air Force go green. Along with an aggressive recycling program, the Flying Razorbacks have already incorporated the USAF's green concepts into multiple facilities recently constructed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

A newer multiple-bay aircraft hangar at the 188th was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 188th's hangar was recognized by the USGBC with one its highest LEED ratings. The hangar was the first facility of its kind in the Air National Guard to achieve that rating. The LEED ratings system functions as the green building certification process.

According to the USGBC, LEED certification includes "energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts."

Air National Guard officials said it had more than 100-such construction projects in the LEED certification pipeline, but the hangar at the 188th was the first building to achieve a Silver rating, the second highest rating the USGBC awards. The USGBC has four certification ratings with Certified being its lowest, then Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Most recently, the 188th achieved another first when its new Civil Engineering Squadron Headquarters facility became the  Air National Guard's first LEED Gold facility.

The structure includes solar power, which provides a portion of the building's electricity and hot water as well as lighting to the parking lot. A rainwater harvesting system is used for toilet water, while a geothermal heating and air system utilizes the earth's consistent temperature. The building was designed to allow natural daylight into most spaces and includes clerestory windows, further reducing the energy consumption.

Earth Day 2012: 188th doing its part to help Air Force go green

  • Published
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  As millions of people around the world observe Earth Day April 22 this year, the United States Air Force is continuously challenging every member of the USAF family to do his or her part to conserve natural resources, minimize waste and prevent pollution.

"I challenge all Airmen to think about pollution prevention in new ways," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff. "We all need to understand that we can make a difference in managing waste so we can find cleaner, more cost effective ways of accomplishing our mission."

The Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing is doing its part to help the Air Force go green. Along with an aggressive recycling program, the Flying Razorbacks have already incorporated the USAF's green concepts into multiple facilities recently constructed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

A newer multiple-bay aircraft hangar at the 188th was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 188th's hangar was recognized by the USGBC with one its highest LEED ratings. The hangar was the first facility of its kind in the Air National Guard to achieve that rating. The LEED ratings system functions as the green building certification process.

According to the USGBC, LEED certification includes "energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts."

Air National Guard officials said it had more than 100-such construction projects in the LEED certification pipeline, but the hangar at the 188th was the first building to achieve a Silver rating, the second highest rating the USGBC awards. The USGBC has four certification ratings with Certified being its lowest, then Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Most recently, the 188th achieved another first when its new Civil Engineering Squadron Headquarters facility became the  Air National Guard's first LEED Gold facility.

The structure includes solar power, which provides a portion of the building's electricity and hot water as well as lighting to the parking lot. A rainwater harvesting system is used for toilet water, while a geothermal heating and air system utilizes the earth's consistent temperature. The building was designed to allow natural daylight into most spaces and includes clerestory windows, further reducing the energy consumption.