Photo By Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman | Kimberly Lowe, 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron community relations...... read more read more
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AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar - Volunteers came together Dec. 1 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar for Operation Community, a monthly effort to clean-up the Coalition Compound section of the base.
More than six-dozen people with trash bags in hand spent an hour policing Coalition Compound, an area covering more than 250 acres. The group found water bottles, cigarettes and various forms of plastic during the clean-up. In the end, 130 bags of trash were collected and disposed of.
Staff Sgt. Amanda Bennett, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing chaplain assistant from Salem, Oregon, came up with the idea behind Operation Community and introduced it to her leadership.
The program initially started out as a way to beautify the area around the Victory Chapel; however, Bennett’s program has now been implemented compound-wide.
Bennett said the program is a way for anyone living and working at AUAB to make the base a better place.
“Operation Community is an effort to make sure we’re taking care of the base,” Bennett said. “We’re not in our country, we want to be good residents of where we live and we want to show our host nation that we are taking care of our home; even if it’s only a temporary one.”
“Plus events like this can motivate others to get involved and take better care of the base,” Bennett added.
One airman said she volunteered to help with the clean-up effort because doing so was the right thing to do.
“It’s important for me to lend a hand and set a good example as a non-commissioned officer,” said Staff Sgt. Jillion Clark, 379th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller from Kansas City, Missouri.
“Our job is to enforce standards and cleanliness is one of those standards,” Clark said. “It's also a way we can show respect to our host nation and show them we appreciate everything they provide us.”
Cleaning the base also ensures it’s properly maintained for future operations, said Kimberly Lowe, 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron community relations specialist from Warner-Robins, Georgia.
“It’s important to keep the base clean, not just for us, but for the people who will follow us,” Lowe said. “I hope with the next event we have even more people.”
Operation Community held its first event in November with 57 volunteers. Program organizers hope to one day have enough volunteers to clean the entire base.
With volunteers like Clark that just may happen.
“Next time I’m bringing my airmen with me,” Clark said.
The next Operation Community clean-up event is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2016 at 7 a.m.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2015 07:59 |
| Story ID: | 183154 |
| Location: | AL UDEID AIR BASE, QA |
| Hometown: | KANSAS CITY, MO, US |
| Hometown: | SALEM, OR, US |
| Hometown: | WARNER ROBINS, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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