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Take pride in your installation

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Craig Cole
  • 87th Civil Engineer Squadron Commander
JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  One of the things I noticed when I arrived here in July 2008 was how great this installation looked and the sense of pride that Airmen took in keeping it looking good.

Spring has sprung and we are now making the final preparations for Base Pride Day on May 27. During this effort, the entire Team McGuire will focus entirely on this cause and making the installation shine. 

The Base Appearance Team, composed of augmentees throughout the installation, works on this full time, but this small team needs help handling this sizable installation. Once Pride Day is over, the team will spend several hours each day watering the flowers, not to mention policing all the main routes and making improvements here and there.

After the growing season, base appearance tasks will triple once we take full responsibility for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

I swell with pride when I see Operations and Maintenance conducting the foreign object debris walks, Contracting personnel weeding their entrance flower beds, Force Support Airmen continuously tending to all of their facilities, Medics sprucing up their entrances, and the list goes on and on. Pride in an installation starts with each individual, picking up a piece of trash, sweeping or clearing a sidewalk in front of their building, ensuring trash containers are secure so they don't blow over; it all starts with each Airman individually, and then it gains momentum as we combine into groups.

Over the next few months, we will experience a transformation at this installation that has not been seen since the Air Force split off from the Army. We are going to be busy, but we should not lose track of the basic sense of pride that we feel for this installation and our work centers.

We just experienced a significant change in the way we are organized, but except for a few new personnel, we are still the same organizations and personnel that have been here for awhile. There are some old-timers who remember the mid-90s when this base was practically forgotten. That is not the case anymore.

I challenge each Airman, military, civilian, dependent and contractor to do whatever they can to demonstrate the pride I know they have in this installation and our way of life. As we head into the summer PCS season, imagine the great first impression of new personnel and surprise of returning personnel when they see the incredible base landscaping.

Of course, that includes the thousands of folks who already work here on a daily basis. Base Pride Day will run from 8 a.m. to noon on May 27. The high visibility areas of the base have been divvied up, and units will work together in planting flowers along the highly traveled Tuskegee and McGuire Boulevards. When we accomplished this event last year, it was met with much enthusiasm. I hope the same attitude prevails this year.

My Civil Engineers will organize the event and provide the supplies and equipment, but the entire installation will be involved in the execution of this notable feat. We learned some great lessons last year, and this year's effort is shaping up to be a huge success.

Not only will we be doing the main thoroughfares of the installation, we will also pass out flowers and supplies for units to beautify their own facilities and work areas. This will be a great opportunity to get out, get your hands a little dirty and really make this installation look spectacular.

Next, except for a few key locations, the flower beds around your facilities and work centers will need to be maintained. The Grounds Maintenance contractor will not be maintaining the flower or planting beds near regular facilities, only the special areas, like Pudgy Circle and the Flag Pole. Therefore, we will need your continued support in keeping the areas in good shape, watered and free of weeds and other debris.

Finally, recent winds and the heavy rains have resulted in just a tremendous amount of trash being blown around the installation, and it tends to congregate against the fencelines, stream beds and along the sides of facilities. It can make a difference if a few people pick up trash, close a dumpster lid, or ensure an exterior trash can is secure.

I have lost track of the number of times I have stopped my vehicle, put on my hazard lights and went out to pick up a piece of trash. Anyone can do it, just make sure you pull over as far as possible from the road or into a nearby parking lot. I have asked our contractors to do the same on their construction sites, and they are stepping up their efforts.

We are moving into the next chapter for this great installation, and it will be expanding exponentially. The Joint Base will bring on many challenges for the installation, but our partners at Fort Dix and Lakehurst are just as committed to taking pride in their parts of the joint installation, and I look forward to working this as a team effort.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is and will continue to be an incredible place to work as well as live. Pride is evident everywhere, and I want the team to know that I have noticed your efforts and ask that you continue. That extra effort goes a long way.