Photo By Airman 1st Class Liberty Kuhn | Service dress uniforms hang on a rack at the Airmen’s Attic on Dover Air Force Base,...... read more read more
Subscribe
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – For some Airmen, the Airmen’s Attic helps meet everyday needs. For others, it offers a chance to volunteer, support the local community and fellow Airmen. For all who walk through its doors, the Airmen’s Attic reflects a shared commitment to helping a wingman.
The Airmen’s Attic is a nonprofit organization that provides essential necessities for Airmen and their dependents with canned goods, clothing and household goods for free.
“The Airmen’s Attic is a free thrift store,” said Dawne Nickerson, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System public affairs chief and Dover AFB Airmen’s Attic manager. “It’s for E-5s and below, as well as their dependents. On Saturdays, we do have all ranks, so we allow retirees and officers.”
Consisting of two large rooms, the Attic is lined with shelves and racks holding a wide range of household items, waiting to be discovered.
The Attic has small appliances, mugs, silverware, athletic wear, shoes, books, movies, uniforms and much more!
“It’s always the first stop for anyone who needs uniform items,” said Nickerson. “Sometimes, they can’t be obtained at military clothing stores, or they’re so expensive. I was just able to help a young Airman the other day who was looking for a princess-cut dress uniform top. We found one on the rack here for her for free.”
During open hours, Airmen and dependents are welcome to sign in, browse and pick out up to ten items of their choice, each visit.
Not only does it support service members and their families, but it also supports the Airmen who volunteer to organize donations and keep the Attic running smoothly. Their volunteer hours are tracked so they can be used for awards packages and enlisted performance briefs.
“On average, we help between 220 and 250 families a month,” said Nickerson. “At the end of the year, we keep track of the number of people we help, our volunteers and their hours. We helped 3,335 families and had 19,176 volunteer hours in 2025.”
Often, the Airmen who volunteer are also those who benefit from the Attic.
“I heard about the Airmen’s Attic and its mission to help the community. I volunteered and saw how important this place is to help Airmen and families,” said Senior Airman Antonio De Paula, 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer. “I volunteered for about four months, then I started doing other things, and I would still come twice a week, every week.”
Not only was De Paula able to give to his community, but the community was also able to give back to him. It’s one of the many ways the Airmen’s Attic supports its locals and shares a commitment to helping each other out.
The Airmen’s Attic is open Mondays and Wednesdays, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Be sure to check out their Facebook page for updates on weather closures, new items or announcements!
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2026 15:09 |
| Story ID: | 560526 |
| Location: | DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Airmen’s Attic: Consignment at its finest, by A1C Liberty Kuhn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
