Town Hall Meeting informs Eielson’s personnel

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Airmen and their spouses attended town hall meetings at the base theater July 7 to discuss base housing changes and policies.

"You all live in government property," said Brig. Gen. James Post, 354th Fighter Wing commander, addressing the assembly. "Unfortunately, not everybody takes care of government property as if it were their own. There are some rules and regulations that as volunteers living on base, you need to know."

During the meeting General Post addressed several topics including housing demographics, vehicle regulations, as well as lawn care and childcare policies.

-A work in progress, the vision is for all Icemen of relatively similar age and rank to live next to one another and avoid extreme rank differences among neighbors and the potential issues that can create.

-Attendees heard reminders as well as new information on vehicle regulations, lawn care, and childcare policies.

-Pamphlet 32-2, the Eielson Family Housing Brochure, will be made into a formal instruction for base housing residents outlining rules for maintenance and repair, vehicle requirements, RV regulations and lawn maintenance.

-Residents need to put their trampolines inside a fenced area by July 10. For houses without fences the residents have the next few months to put a safety net around them. If these rules can't be complied with the trampolines must be stored or given away.

General Post also highlighted other areas of interest. 40 units in base housing are being converted into temporary lodging facilities, providing a significant improvement for inbound or outbound families needing temporary lodging. The current TLF facility, the Sourdough Inn, will eventually be demolished. After base housing has converted to privatization, there is the possibility of having community facilities in base housing such as a pool, although nothing is certain at this point.

Attendees brought up topics on backyard fencing, curfews for children and satellite TV. Those that asked a question were able to get a response or future coordination for an answer.

"I was glad to hear about the plans for the community water park or pool. That would be
really cool since the gym pool is not always available," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Garner, 354th Communication Squadron NCO in-charge of network infrastructure.

During the last 10 minutes of the meeting attendees voiced their questions and concerns.

According to Sergeant Garner, it was nice to see that other housing residents had the same concerns that he had.

"When a policy comes out it is critical that everyone stay informed so they don't miss necessary information," said General Post.

Having base residents on the same page is vital to having a well-informed populace so the base stays orderly and safe.