Air Base kicks off New Year with renovations

The Joint Base Charleston Air Base has already experienced some big changes in 2019.

Between Jan. 11 and Feb. 1 of this year, three newly renovated facilities have opened across the installation, providing an increased quality of life to base residents.

The first renovation completed in the new year was an overhaul of the breastfeeding room in the Joint Base Charleston’s Air Base Child Development Center, which re-opened Jan. 11.

The makeover, provided by Aeroflow Breastpumps, included a transformation of the room by adding comfortable furniture for moms when breastfeeding, a side table, organizational areas, room accessories and breastfeeding artwork. JBC will also receive a complete supply of breastfeeding supplies.

“On behalf of the Air Base Child Development Center, I want to thank Aeroflow Breastpumps for selecting our facility to receive their first-ever ‘Pumping Room Makeover’ and I also want to recognize Dr. Maimie Futrell, a parent of children enrolled in our program, who submitted our facility for this contest,” said Judith Jackson, Air Base Child Development Center director. “With this ‘Pumping Room Makeover,’ our military and civilian mothers will have a modern and comfortable place to support their breastfeeding requirements for their newborn children. We are honored to receive this generous gift and very grateful for Aeroflow Breastpumps’ support of our military community.”

Next, the Air Base library re-opened Jan. 25 after a six-month closure. The facility was repainted, carpeted and outfitted with adjustable and movable furniture, as well as furniture with integrated plugs to allow ease of charging electronics while at the library. 

The JBC upgrade was part of an Air Force initiative to modernize base libraries, making them more functional and adaptable for current needs and uses.

“The goal was to create bigger open flexible spaces and to add meeting spaces. They also renovated with technology in mind,” said Angela Aschenbrenner director of Joint Base Charleston libraries. “Now people can plug-in easily with their laptops and chargers for electronics. The idea behind the flexible space is that we wanted to have furniture we could move around, so a lot of our furniture is reconfigurable now.”

The most recent project to be completed was the base dining facility, which re-opened Feb. 1 to feature The Food 2.0 program.

Food 2.0 is designed to provide improved culinary training and give JBC community members a campus-style dining experience to enhance food quality and provide Airmen with more nutritious meals.

The new renovations help dining facility personnel adjust to changing lifestyles, needs and preferences, as well as to improve efficiency, reduce costs and restore a sense of community while maintaining mission-feeding capabilities.

“With the new Food 2.0 concept, at other bases which have already implemented this dining format, they’ve realized an increase in utilization from 39 percent to 58 percent Air Force-wide,” said Lt. Col. William Parker, 628th Force Support Squadron commander. “We’ve found that our customers love it—from the faster service to healthier menus and healthier food preparation.  You will find more food variety available daily and increased average weekly DFAC availability from 55 hours to 98 hours per week!  There was a lot put into this concept to enhance quality of life for all and I hope you enjoy it.”

Additionally, Food 2.0 will also make the dining facility open to all JBC members, including service members, dependents, civilians, contractors and retirees.

Each innovation was thought of and proposed by people within the air base community to improve their quality of life and the lives of all residents across the base. Through these renovations, the base is able to accommodate its customer base through modern amenities comparable to those seen in civilian communities.

For more information about each of these renovations, visit the links below:

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/310051/joint-base-charleston-wins-aeroflow-breastpumps-pumping-room-makeover