A cleaned up act

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joshua Crane
  • 60th Air Mobility WIng Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Two minutes and eight seconds is all that is required to save manpower by approximately 95 percent and Nick Dyson, 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron chief of vehicle operations, is making sure to prove that point.

For years, government motor vehicles have been washed manually and this takes time, Dyson said. "With nothing more than a soap bucket and a water hose they'd spend around 45 minutes ensuring the vehicles were properly cleaned."

However, after six months of construction and more than $600,000 spent Travis now has a GMV carwash of its own.

"Manpower isn't the only thing we're saving though," Dyson said. "The water is recycled and softened and all of the chemicals involved in the system are environmentally friendly."

Dyson said that in time the carwash will pay for itself.

"The General Services Administration reimburses us for up to two carwashes per government motor vehicle per month," Dyson said. "Now that the time is a fraction of what it was we'll have more vehicles cleaned on a daily basis."

Travis has one of the largest GMV fleets in Air Mobility Command and all 363 vehicles are capable of going through the 14 ft. high 12.5 ft. wide carwash.

"What we look forward to the most is the new system being setup to track washes," Dyson said. "It'll be just like the GMV gas pumps now, you'll input your information, drive through and get back to work."