Photo By Gina Randall | Dormitory 111 is ready for use after a renovation project, March 24, 2015, on RAF...... read more read more
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RAF MILDENHALL, United Kingdom - For Airmen starting out their military career, their dormitory is their home. At RAF Mildenhall, these homes are maintained by the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron. The 100th CES recently completed renovations to Dormitory 111.
“Dormitory 111 was built in 1998, and had many leaks and problems so there were numerous work orders,” said Master Sgt. Kenneth Oliver, 100th CES Unaccompanied Housing superintendent from Woolwich, Maine. “So we temporarily took all the people out in order to fully remove and refit the dormitory’s water piping system. Now, hopefully it will be a long time before any issues come up and the residents won’t have to be disturbed.”
The buildings are large and house many residents, so the work took thorough planning.
“In renovating Dormitory 111, we had the kitchen and bathrooms fully refitted, new appliances put in and new furniture installed in the bedrooms,” Oliver explained. “We’ve also had the vanity units, ceiling fans, lights, window blinds and curtains replaced. All together, over $3.5 million was spent to improve and ready the rooms for the Airmen.”
As with any maintenance, the work is continuous and with many different agencies housed in the dormitories careful planning was required to ensure the least disruption to Airmen residing there.
“We’ve moved the 100th Security Forces Squadron and the 352nd Special Operations Wing personnel from Dormitory 107, which we readied for its own renovation,” he said. “We handed it over to the contractors in the middle of April, once we moved all of the residents out. This renovation is expected to be complete by May 2016, as it will take approximately 12 to 13 months to refurbish the dormitory to the same standard as this one (111).”
The 100th CES spend time to make sure the Airmen’s living standards are taken care of, and want to ensure Airmen have a place to call home while stationed overseas.
“(We work) to improve their quality of life,” stated Oliver. “Our Airmen are very important to us and we couldn’t do the mission without them. We need them to have a place they can relax and enjoy their downtime.”
Not anyone can live in the dorms.
“The dorms are for Airmen with three years or less in service,” said Oliver. “We’re required to house them during this time and are responsible for ensuring their residency in these dorms is a positive experience.”
Oliver is assisted by others to ensure the dorms are kept to a high standard.
“I manage the dorms and work with four other personnel,” he explained. “I have three people assigned to our section who manage the 100th Air Refueling Wing personnel, and one person from the 352nd SOW who is assigned to manage their personnel.
“The quality of the living conditions is of the upmost importance to me as well as to my team,” Oliver said. “We attend to minor maintenance issues as they occur, but occasionally the dormitories require larger projects to be planned for and carried out in order to improve the living condition we are providing to our occupants.”
The first sergeants are a crucial asset in reminding Airmen to treat their dorm as a home, and to look after it as such. The role of a first sergeant is to take care of the Airmen and the facilities they call home.
“Over the last decade, the Air Force has invested a lot of money in both new construction and refurbishment of existing dorms to really improve the quality of life for our young Airmen,” said Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Thomas, 100th SFS first sergeant from Iona, Minnesota. “The investment has paid dividends, and as a result the pride that most Team Mildenhall dorm residents take in their home is impressive and is showcased routinely to distinguished visitors on the installation.
“As a first sergeant it’s my responsibility to be in the dorms to make sure that they are being maintained and that our Airmen are also being taken care of,” Thomas added. “Overall, the intent is not to invade our Airmen's privacy but to help ensure they have safe living conditions and see if there is an opportunity to improve their quality of life.”
Quality of life improvements are constantly ongoing and multiple agencies work together for the Airmen calling RAF Mildenhall home.
“It is definitely a positive change of environment for us dorm dwellers,” said Airman 1st Class Joseph Marchini, 100th SFS response force member from East Lyme, Connecticut. “It is a reminder that those above us genuinely care about our living conditions and try to make us as comfortable as they possibly can.”
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2015 05:53 |
| Story ID: | 164027 |
| Location: | RAF MILDENHALL, GB |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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