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Service members polish JB MDL

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sean M. Crowe
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Service members across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., participated in the Joint Base Beautification Day April 22, 2014, and are slated to hold another May 20 here.

The Beautification day coincides with Earth Day and allows service members to improve the base's appearance.

The 87th Civil Engineer Squadron headed the initiative by providing the resources for service members to maintain and improve their work centers and surrounding areas.

"Today is about pride in ownership of the joint base," said Maj. Christopher Wedewer, 87th CES Operations Flight commander who hails from Alpharetta, Ga. "It's imperative that we maintain the infrastructure and appearance of the base in general and especially with the approaching Open House and Air Show. The whole community will have eyes on our installation and we want to show them how we are sustaining our resources."

The 2014 Open House and Air Show is slated for May 10 and 11 and will feature an array of the joint base's missions and people who live, work and train here. The event is an opportunity for the tenant service members to display good stewardship of taxpayer money and their pride in their work centers and equipment. The event will showcase JB MDL's collection of military equipment and specialized service members including demonstrations from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Army's premier paratrooper team, the Golden Knights, as well as static displays of many military aircraft and ground vehicles which make JB MDL "America's Strength."

"The reason we as service members take time to keep up with the base's appearance is because we take more pride in that work than any landscapers," said Master Sgt. John Nugent, 87th CES Self Help Section material acquisition chief. "Everyone who works or lives here should take the time to help beautify the base now and also regularly through the small things such as picking up litter."

Service members were able to check out supplies from 87th CES Self Help Section to help with the process. The participants were able to sign out tools and materials including rakes, brooms, shovels, lawnmowers, fertilizer and mulch to use for the day.

"We had a larger volume of customers coming through here this year than last year," said Nugent. "Leadership did a great job of getting the word out about the event. We did so well today we ran out of mulch in the first hour and a half and had to order more."

Service members of all military branches could be seen playing their parts on virtually every street at JB MDL.

"I checked out a mower and picked up mulch for my work center so we could make some improvements to our landscape," said Army Staff Sgt. Julius Padin, Defense Courier Station courier from New York City. "The work pays off when our work center looks more professional and we are comfortable showing off our facility."

The participants cleaned the gardens and pavement areas surrounding their work centers.
"We appreciate the massive involvement from all the units and facility managers," said Wedewer. "We depend on those people who maintain the facilities day in and day out. They act as our second set of eyes and help us make sure we have an estimable appearance."