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Commentary: Rags to Riches

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class William Navarro
  • 439 SCOS/GWG and Jordan Hall Dorm Chief
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --  In early 2010, Jordan Hall dormitory here was, to put it lightly, the "hot spot" on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. It was rare for a week to go by without some manner of incident. As the oldest dorm on base, Jordan Hall was run-down -- which aided in the establishment of an "I don't care" mentality for some. For a period of time, it was number one on the Security Force blotter, and the Airmen suffered from a lack of ownership and a failure to live up to our Air Force Core Values of Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. Why?

Our commander, Col. Ricky Bennett, challenged Jordan Hall residents to improve their quality of living and to stop "inviting him into the dorm." When I say inviting him into the dorm, I do not mean it in a good way! We went through a period of "Back to Basics," which consisted of Charge of Quarters duty and full service dress on the weekend for failed dorm room inspections. This certainly got our attention, but even that did not drive the change that we see today.

Resident ownership and leadership roles in the dorm drove the change! With the guidance of our first sergeant, Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Drake, the dorm residents created a brand new Dorm Council. Thus the metamorphosis began. As the residents began to take on leadership roles within the dorm, many self-help projects began. With very little money, a lot of Airmen-power, and a ton of initiative, we made big changes to our quality of life. A stadium seating style movie room on the third floor was just one of the many improvements made. Now, after winning Dorm of the Quarter three consecutive times, Jordan Hall is the example for the entire dormitory community! Simply put ... the Airmen made it their home.

Recently Maj. Gen. Gary T. McCoy, Air Force Global Logistics Support Center Commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Cynthia Solomito, AFGLSC Command Chief Master Sergeant, visited Jordan Hall to see the transition. As the Airmen began to tell their story, you could hear the passion in their voices. They showcased their home as you would a prized possession.

As General McCoy stated, "Our Airmen are strong and energetic and our military is in pretty good hands. You have shown ownership and made the dorm a home. It shows not only in your dorm but in your job and the support you provide our customers. You have put your name on the mailbox and I am extremely proud of you."

Jordan Hall's transformation just goes to show that getting back to basics -- through leadership and ownership -- can help us all!