Crowdsourcing Website to Broaden Squadron Revitalization Reach

The Air Force is getting ready to launch a new, web-based phase of its squadron revitalization initiative. Brig. Gen. Stephen Davis, who is leading the effort, told Air Force Magazine on Tuesday that he expects to have a “web-based crowdsourcing platform” tested and operational near the beginning of May. In February, Davis and his team launched a announced plans to visit around 20 bases, including trips to all the major commands, to interview squadron leaders. Davis said those visits should be finished “by the end of July,” and the web platform is intended to broaden his team’s data collection scope. “We’re going to go out and talk to a lot of different airmen across the MAJCOMs. A lot of time and effort are going into that,” he said. “But we realize we’re not going to be able to reach every single airman.” The crowdsourcing model will “give every airman a chance to provide input into what we’re doing,” he said. The platform will also help the program pivot toward recommendations and implementation, Davis said, because it will “let airmen suggest some of the things we can do to address” the issues identified in the base visits. Davis said he expects the website will be a “very valuable” tool for collecting grassroots solutions from the force.