Airmen volunteer to beautify base

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- As you drive through the front gate of Hurlburt Field, you see the Air Park with various historical aircraft to the right and a large children's park to your left. First impressions are a large portion of determining where to make a home. Airmen on Hurlburt Field help the base's first impression by volunteering for base beautification to keep their home clean.

"First impressions are important to this base," said Doug Blount, mechanic and tractor operator. "We have a lot of high-ranking people come onto this base, and the first thing they will see is a piece of trash on the ground."

Every week, three new Airmen report to the base beautification building at 8:30 a.m. They are met by Blount to get their trash picks and the keys to the Bobcat vehicles that make traveling around base simple.

The Airmen split into three sections of base and work those areas multiple times a day to ensure that the base stays clean throughout the day.

But keeping the base clean is more than just those first impressions. To most of the Hurlburt Field community, the base is more than a workplace--it's their home.

"We work on this base, most of us live on this base, and it's a boost to morale to wake up to a clean base," said Airman 1st Class Joseph Bartha, a cyber-systems operator from 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron.

The community had the opportunity to come onto Hurlburt Field for an open house and keeping the base clean helps the community appreciate their military, said Blount. Hurlburt Field is here to work and willing to do whatever it takes to keep the environment clean while providing a successful mission to the Air Force.

If you are interested in volunteering for base beautification, please contact your unit first sergeant.