Airman 1st Class Eugene Oliver | U.S. Air ForceStaff Sgt. Samantha Hampton, center, 23rd Mission Support Group command staff administrator, gives a presentation during Spark Tank last week at Moody Air Force Base. Spark Tank is a spinoff of the show 'Shark Tank,' where airmen were given the opportunity to propose projects and improvements for Moody to leaders from the 23rd Wing and the community.  

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Seven Moody airmen pitched business ideas before a panel of 23rd Wing and community leaders last week during the base’s first installment of the Air Force’s Spark Tank competition. 

Rivaling one of the most popular business shows where participants showcase their innovative concepts with the goal of winning financial support from the judges, the airmen sought to do the same by aiming their ideas toward restoring readiness, cost-effectively modernizing the mission and driving innovation to secure the future.

For Capt. Lakeatta Tonge, 23rd Medical Group education and training flight commander, focusing on one of Moody’s priorities, “Caring for Airmen and Families,” was paramount in her pitch through the Resolve Through Sharing initiative.

“Resolve Through Sharing is a bereavement service that will assist the 23rd Wing by providing an outlet for women and families who are affected by infertility, recurring pregnancy loss, or the loss of a young infant,” Tonge said. “This initiative will increase the awareness that one out of four women will experience a miscarriage or infertility concerns in their life span.

“Yet, many of them do not speak about it or get the help they need,” Tonge said. “But it is known that these women and families are at an increased risk for anxiety, postpartum depression, PTSD and other mental health disorders during the first six months to a year following the event.”

Tonge said her hope is Moody will improve the process of identifying these women and families and get them the support they need before they deploy, or cause harm to themselves or others.

After ultimately winning first-place honors, Tonge said she is proud of the desire of Wing leadership to support airmen. The dedication was evident as 23rd Wing senior leadership is looking into ways to implement many of the projects briefed in addition to the winning proposal.

Projects and ideas ranged from an automated prescription retrieval system designed to expedite Team Moody’s medical experience to an HH-60G Pavehawk rescue simulator designed to increase training operations.

“This was an amazing experience,” said Col. Jennifer Short, 23rd Wing commander. “(Senior leadership) challenged our airmen to give us their innovative ideas, and in exchange, we’d look into possibly funding these projects to make things better at Moody.”

As Moody observed its risk takers and idea makers who continued to develop solutions to bring the best to the fight, senior leadership encouraged others to follow their innovative passions to impact the Air Force.